Electric Sheep
by Purtail
Summary: Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.
1. Chapter 1

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **My OTP~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 1**

He pried his heavy eyelids open. The world spun, the blurs in his vision refusing to clear. His mind felt like fluff; useless and canceling any chance of noise. Everything was silent for the few precious moments he was dragged back to consciousness.

The first noise he registered was his own voice letting out a soft groan. The tapping of water hit his ears next. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Even half-asleep, the sound irritated him. With a hiss of annoyance, he tried to swat out at whatever was making that insufferable noise.

It took a moment for him to register that his arms weren't moving as he commanded them too. His right wrist had something cold tightly gripped around it, and no amount of shaking could set him free. Sighing, he swung his head towards the source of his entrapment, his surroundings finally coming into a semi-focus.

Handcuffs.

He had to blink a few times to register them; he couldn't even begin to wonder how they got there and who put them on.

As his surroundings and memory simultaneously grew clearer, his mind began to race. He tugged at the cuffs, almost expecting them to break at his weak pull. But his wrist snapped back, and he let out a quiet hiss of pain.

His gaze flickered over to his other hand; this one was free and moveable. He curled his fingers towards the center of his palm, his eyes narrowing at the gray and black watch still clamped around his wrist. The LED lights taunted him, blinking with numbers whose purposes still eluded him at that point.

"What... the...?" It took a moment for him to even recognize the pitiful sound as his own voice. It sounded... foreign. Raspy and quiet were not words normally associated with Dio; he was loud, and confident to a fault.

He had strength, and unbelievable stubbornness. He was not usually so weak.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he spoke again. "Where am I...?" His eyes scanned the room, taking in the pale cyan walls and blurry equipment further away. With his gaze finally clear, he could see a sink next to him, sporting the other half of his pair of handcuffs.

His mind instantly went to work, trying to decode what this scene meant. He had one half of the cuffs on him, and the other cuff was around the sink's pipe...

Once more, he yanked at the chain; the sink didn't budge, nor did the cuffs. The truth settled into his stomach like stones.

Dio was trapped.

Though he still hadn't the slightest idea of what happened, he began to yell. Screaming brought a new pain to his throat, as if he had swallowed a live sea urchin. Something warm flecked his lips as he yelled, but he ignored it and kept yelling.

There were nothing sensible that escaped his lips; after a few moments, all hints of comprehensible words crumbled into confused snarls and demanding hisses.

As far as he knew, he was alone in the room. Was there anyone else around at all? Had he been left to rot in this place? He couldn't survive long without food or water; did whoever was behind his current situation intend to slowly kill him?

But where _was _this place? Where was he? No, _who _was he? What was his name? Panic settled inside him as he realized he couldn't recall right away.

Had he been drugged?

Before he could explore that possibility, his eyes caught on something; golden embroidered numbers on the inside of his jacket, just below the collar.

They said "D-10."

"D...10..." mumbled, running his free fingers across the thread. The decoding process took longer than it should have for a man his age, but his mind was heavily delayed due to... something. Drugs? Alcohol? A one-night stand?

His heart pounded faster. The memories eluded him still, but he was slowly working towards his name.

"D...i...o..." he slurred, the sounds at least a little familiar. "Dio."

_...yeah. Dio. That's it._

Dio curled his lips to a weak smirk at the triumph. "Dio." With a nod to confirm it, he worked towards the next question in his mind – what was he doing here?

Before he realized it, the name 'Brother' flashed through his mind.

_Broth-_

…_of course!_

His name was Dio. He was here, on a mission for Brother...! Brother was his leader, his purpose – his ironical _father. _Dio existed because of Brother. That man was the reason he still breathed, and was the only way to save his soul.

Every inch of Dio's being believed in this truth. How could he have forgotten? He felt despicable for concentrating on something other than his sacred mission. When he had left base, his mind was focused on his resolve and nothing else. The task was life or death, after all; if he failed, Dio knew he had to die.

Brother had explained it in simple terms when he assigned Dio the mission and packed him a cyanide capsule. He didn't even need to say anything (not that he could, being that old); his message was as clear as crystal.

_Complete this mission, or we will no longer have a purpose for you._

And those unspoken words made everything that much more important. Dio had never forgotten the terms as he played through the Nonary Game, keeping his poker face and claiming his innocence just as he had practiced. The other idiots went along with most of his ludicrous declarations; after so long, it became a game. How far could Dio stretch the truth before someone questioned him?

...a lot farther than one would think.

Thinking about the Game brought about perhaps the most important question in his mind: how did he get here? Judging from the pastel blue walls and smell of antiseptic, he guessed he was in the infirmary.

Did he succeed in his mission? Going by the handcuffs, he assumed not, but...

His sluggish thoughts dissolved as he heard footsteps approaching. Perking his ears, he worked through the molasses of his mind and estimated that they were already in the room. He was unable to see them, but he could tell they were there.

"He...llo?" he ground out, his throat throbbing from the yells. "Who's there? What's... what's going on?" Speaking had taken its toll on him; he hacked as the blood caught in his mouth choked him.

No answer. He pulled at the cuffs, grunting a bit at how much strength that simple action took. Whoever was there was quickly approaching, their quiet steps growing into stomps as they grew near. He gave one last effort to escape, struggling against the silver chain binding him to the sink. His groans died down to pained whimpers as whoever was nearby was standing over him.

He lifted his head, gazing over the tip of his hat, to meet the cerulean-rimmed eyes of the young woman staring down at him. Though his mind's mechanisms still felt like a snail riding on top of a tortoise, he was able to process her identity within a few moments.

"Luna..." he murmured, his voice cracking weakly at the end.

The girl sighed, folding her hands together in a nervous gesture and breaking eye contact with him. She let out a soft, half-hearted giggle that made his lips instinctively curl into a snarl. His head snapped further up to glare towards her, a growl forming in his throat. At the threatening sound, she threw up her hands in defense.

It was then that he noticed the injection gun in her hand. A pink fluid, churning in a glass container, was set at the top of the gun.

"U-um, Dio, please don't hurt yourself..." she whispered, glancing back towards the door for a moment and taking a step towards him.

Her soft voice and gentle gestures only angered him further, setting off a rage embedded within him. His teeth gritted together, his hands balling into fists, and he leaned his head towards her and spat at her feet. He couldn't see himself, but he was almost positive a feral look had overtaken him.

She bent down, her blue eyes only meters away from his. A disgusting look washed over her face; it was a look he didn't often see, but one that set him off all the same. Her eyes practically emitted pity, her lips drawn in a thin line of sorrow and regret.

His fury only escalated from there.

"What the hell!?" he yelled out of the blue, yanking on the cuff chains violently. Though his throat burned from the overuse, he was blinded by wrath. "What the f**uck **did you do to me, Luna? Let me go! _**Let me go!**_" He howled and writhed, trying so desperately to be free, or to strike her, or at least make contact…

Feeling a sharp sting, his gaze snapped back to his hand. The cuff around him had been rubbed too roughly against his skin, it seemed; a thin line of red was beginning to hover above the thin blue veins of his wrist.

The more he struggled, the thicker the line grew. Sticky blood bubbled under the cut and began to trickle down his arm. He stared at it for a moment but, similar to a desperate beast's stance on the matter, the sight of it only made him angrier.

"You better have a good **_fucking_**** r**eason I'm stuck like this," he warned Luna, "or I swear I'll snap your fucking neck!"

Luna had stood up and was waving her hands in defense, shuffling back a bit. "Dio, calm down, please... you're... you're bleeding..."

At that point, Dio was little more than a caged animal. His instincts were set off by the situation; he was trapped, and he needed to do whatever was necessary to escape. If he couldn't get the cuffs off, he might be desperate enough to chop his hand off somehow.

"Who the hell chained me to this fucking sink!?" he demanded, trying to remember the circumstances that led up to this moment. He had probably been drugged by that fucking injection gun. But... there had to be a purpose; they weren't as ruthless as he was, right? Out of the whole bunch, Alice was probably the closest to his level of focus, but even she wouldn't put someone under anesthesia without valid reasoning...

He couldn't remember what he had done – if anything. Something in the back of his mind told him that there was definitely a reason, he just couldn't find it. As he racked his brain for _anything _that would spark a memory, he noticed Luna looming over him again.

"Get the fuck away," he warned, springing back to attention, "Go away, L-!"

A sharp pinch to his arm killed the rest of his words. All at once, his mind grew fuzzy and his vision swayed once more. His limbs, his head, his eyelids... everything felt as though it was weighed down by tons of sand. He couldn't find the strength to lift or move anything, and his eyes shut immediately.

His head drooping was the last thing he registered before his world went dark.

Luna's quiet footsteps was nearly lost in the spacious warehouse. The older woman was standing a ways off from the AB doors, her hands behind her back. She didn't offer a greeting, so Luna approached and folded her hands politely.

"Ma'am," she said softly, "I… administered some more Soporil to Dio…"

"Very good, Luna," Ms. Kurashiki rasped, turning her head to nod towards her Gaulem. "Was there any trouble?"

Luna nodded, biting her lip. "Y-yes," she murmured, "he awoke for a few minutes before, and he struggled a bit before I gave him a dosage. Um... ma'am, how long do you plan on doing this...?" She flinched instinctively, expecting a retort in reply.

Ms. Kurashiki shook her head. "We cannot afford to waste the Soporil. There is a limited supply."

"Of course, ma'am, but... how can we fix this issue?"

Akane grinned slyly, her old eyes flickering with a rare, youthful mischief. "I suppose we cannot keep Dio under forever. Sending him back to his organization would not end well for him."

"Would they... kill him?"

"Most likely," the old woman replied, bringing her hands out from behind her, revealing the glistening Myrmidon knife. She polished the blade with her sleeve, emotionless eyes gliding over it from hilt to tip. "The Myrmidons do not tolerate failure."

The words made Luna's heart (or whatever mechanism was in place of one inside her) grow cold. She nodded, afraid of Ms. Kurashiki's decision. Though Dio probably deserved whatever fate she chose for him, it still saddened Luna. She didn't want to see anyone die or hurt. It was most likely part of her programming, so she couldn't help it. Ms. Kurashiki had designed her this way for a purpose, after all...

Regardless, she didn't agree with death, even to those who yearned for it. Being a Gaulem, she wanted nothing more than to be human; she couldn't even begin to imagine anyone wanting to rid themselves of a fleshy body and actual emotions.

She wasn't sure if Dio was going to try to find his capsule again, but she made sure to make sure it was flushed away in the infirmary's sink. He couldn't kill himself around her watch, at least.

"Luna, I have an order for you." Akane's words snapped Luna out of her thoughts. "I have decided what we shall do with Left, for now."

The android nodded, perking her ears for the instructions.

"I will not allow Left to harm anyone else. But we cannot keep him under Soporil for too long, as our inventory is not endless. He shall remain in this facility. Your orders, Luna, are to keep watch over him and attempt to... _rehabilitate_ him." The woman's foxlike grin fell for a moment, and she tightened her grip on the handle of Dio's knife.

"Should he resist rehabilitation, and wishes to die, you must let him fulfill his desire."

Luna's breath caught in her throat as she opened her mouth to protest, but found she could not. Instead, she simply nodded, her eyes shining with worry.

With a nod of confirmation, Ms. Kurashiki looked back at the painted words, running her slender fingers across the smooth surface. Luna had always wondered why the anagram "TWO MILKMEN GO COMEDY" was important to the game; clearly, the Nonary Game players understood that this was a 'kingdom' of sorts by Lagomorph's explanation…? It didn't have a purpose like the second phrase on the upper floor.

It wasn't her business, though; Ms. Kurashiki told her as much quite frequently. Luna was a Gaulem, and she was to follow the orders given and not ask questions.

And she could never challenge _anything_ Ms. Kurashiki said.

"Yes, ma'am. I will... do my best with Dio," she murmured, bowing her head in acceptance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **My OTP~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 2**

When Dio awoke, his memories still eluded him. It took just a bit longer than the last time to recall his name, his purpose, where he was, and the like. The rest of his memories were still quite fuzzy, and he guessed it would take a while to regain them.

He did, however, remember what had happened moments before he fell unconscious again. Luna had shown up, telling him to calm down, and ended up pricking him with the anesthesia gun. Why the hell was that bitch the only one around, anyway? Where were the others?

Quickly, he searched his memory banks. His name was Dio, he was here for Brother's mission – to interfere with the Nonary Game by participating in it – and... what else?

How else would he prepare for such a mission? He went through the procedure in his mind; if he failed to kill one of the players and take their place, how else would he ensure the Nonary Game's end?

_Shut the system down? _No, that couldn't be it, as he didn't have the hacking skills needed. Brother was aware of that, too; he wouldn't assign Dio a mission he couldn't complete.

Brother chose the Left clones for specific tasks, but he decided on Dio to do this one. This was one of the most _important_ missions for Free the Soul to succeed in their plans, and would require a very _important_ person.

When he was selected, Dio had been ecstatic. He had begun to think that Brother had forgotten him, or was going to reject him because of his sin. But the holy father had reached out to him – D-10, _Dio –_ over thousands of identical faces.

Dio had known the stakes... So what had he done for backup, should he fail?

_...of course...! _

As if it would help jog his memory, Dio sat up a bit straighter. He had... there were... _bombs. _That's right! He had them all over the facility, just in case he couldn't fuck up the Nonary Game by traditional methods. And if he couldn't win, he had decided to blow the place to hell.

And... he had pulled out the detonator when things got rough, only to be scolded by that fucking old man. Yes, Tenmyouji... he had goaded Dio into pressing the trigger. But in the end, he hadn't been able to – the automatic detonator had been set off instead.

Why couldn't he just press the damn button? He had purposefully planted those bombs there in case he failed – so that he would die with a completed mission. But... he hadn't expected to _hesitate_ when confronted. Did he really cling to the flesh? Hadn't Brother taught him the contrary – that the only way to be relieved of his sins is to _die_?

He didn't understand it, but he didn't have time to ponder. There could still be time to complete his mission – the bombs clearly hadn't gone off yet, so there was time to repent for being so weak.

"O holy father..." he murmured, licking his cracked lips. "Forgive me for being overpowered by those not worthy..."

Though difficult due to his position, Dio attempted to bring his palms together for a better prayer gesture. When he did, however, he noticed something on his wrist. If his (rather faulty) memory served correct, he had cut himself while trying to struggle out of the handcuffs. The blood streaks that had stained his hand had been wiped away. In place of the thin line of red was a white bandage, crisscrossed and tied snugly and securely.

The sight confused him. Many questions ran through his mind, but the first thing he could think of was why the hell anyone would bother. It was such a minute wound; Dio had let worse go untreated before. In fact, healing with medicine or antiseptic sprays was looked down upon in Free the Soul; if a human had to rely on anything but the endorphins churning through their very veins, they were inadequate. The Myrmidons took a naturalistic approach to many elements of life; Darwin's concept "survival of the fittest" was part of their code.

He also couldn't figure out why they would bandage _him_ in the first place. Dio was the one who planted the bombs, who planned to kill everyone in the facility. Shouldn't they be scrambling around and making in-the-dark guesses at passwords, rather than patching up an enemy?

Shouldn't they have just left him here to die?

He wouldn't put it past them; it _was_ nature, after all. Dio should have realized it sooner and trained harder for his mission. Only the strongest would triumph in the end, and he had let them overpower him.

It was the way of the animal kingdom, of _beasts_, but it was life at its most pure.

Part of his mission _was_, after all, to overpower one of the Nonary Game players, kill them, and assume their role in the game. And though he couldn't recall actually sinking the blade into the old bitch's heart, he must've. Due to his fuzzy mind at the moment due to the anesthesia, he wasn't concerned about the missing memory.

Besides, if he had played the damn game by taking someone's bracelet, they must've died. And he was pretty sure he had killed that old woman...

He did remember one thing, though: his knife was missing. Perhaps he had dropped it when he walked back to his AB room with Quark; that was the only explanation he could think of. He had searched for it any free moment he had during the game, but never found it. Barring a fingerprint analysis, however, no one would know it was his. If nothing else, Dio prided himself on being a _great_ liar.

It didn't matter now, though. When those bombs go off, they'll all be vaporized instantly. The knife will be soon forgotten, if it wasn't already.

Shaking his head, he sighed and let out a soft moan, testing his vocal chords to see how far he could stretch his voice before hurting it like before. As his groans grew louder, pain coursed through his throat. If he wasn't able to yell, would anyone hear him?

Did he want anyone to hear him? No, he supposed not; at the detonation, no one will even be able to think before it was over. But he had to admit, the thought of gloating about his own soul being saved while the others' were damned was a type of schadenfreude he could jump on board with.

Speaking of the others, if they were off looking for the codes, why wasn't Luna with them? Why had she come into the infirmary to check on him or whatever, when she should be scurrying about, desperate for her pathetic life like everyone else?

He didn't understand her. _Was she stupid? _He wondered, but couldn't further ponder it, as the sound of a door sliding open caught his attention. With a grunt of effort, he tried to lean towards the door, to see who was approaching. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped, however, as there was a partition blocking his vision.

"Who the hell's there?" he growled, still attempting to identify his visitor before they revealed themselves.

"My, Left, aren't you a bit loud for someone who just woke up?" He didn't recognize the raspy voice, but the sight of the person it belonged to made him stiffen instantly. His mind whirled as he tried to process it, the edges of his vision growing black from the sheer processing malfunctions taking place in his brain.

He- he had killed her, hadn't he?! Why was she here? Was he still asleep? No, his body's constant dull throbbing proved that he was conscious. Could he be... hallucinating? Had they laced the soporil with dissociatives? But where would they even _find_ anything like that?!

"T-the _**fuck**_?!" he screeched and immediately winced, regretting the throat-damaging volume. "No, you're supposed to be fucking dead...!" he hissed quietly, the words trekked over carefully with his voice.

The old woman curled her lips into a smirk, her wrinkled face showing delight in his confusion. "Poor, poor Left," she chided with a shake of her head. "It seems you are still a bit woozy from your naps."

Spitting in her direction, he tried to free himself from the handcuffs once more. "Come over here and let me fucking _kill_ you!" he howled, ignoring the returning taste of blood in his mouth.

He didn't even notice that Luna was behind her until he recognized her quiet pleads. "Dio... Dio, calm down..." She had that _damn _injection gun in her hand again; he couldn't see what she was doing with it but the very sight of it made him howl in fury and try to break free -

"_**Enough!" **_

Despite himself, Dio jumped at the old woman's tone and volume, his heart speeding up in instinctive fright. Her eyes were narrowed, her hands behind her back shifting position ever-so-slightly. Now that he had calmed down a bit and could focus, he swore he saw something shine in her hand, but he couldn't see it from his position.

"Left," she began, "How are you faring?"

"What the hell do you care?" he spat, sending a fierce glare right back to her. Smirking, he added in a mocking tone, "Actually, I have a _throbbing_ headache. You gonna get me some ibuprofen for it? Nurse me back to health?"

She chuckled. "No, I do not believe that is necessary. You seem fine. Not that it matters either way." With a sly grin of her own, she pulled out the shiny object from behind her back.

"My knife!" he cried, his fists reflexively tightening. "Where'd you find that?! Why the fuck isn't it lodged in your chest!?"

"Oh, Left... you know so little," she replied, her smile growing more and more amused (much to his frustration).

"Yeah? Care to _enlighten_ me, then, on why I'm chained to this fucking sink?"

Akane glanced towards Luna. "Would you care to explain?" she asked, bringing her taunting gaze back to the blond.

"U-um... well, I'm sorry, Dio," Luna fidgeted, and he wondered why the _fuck _she was apologizing to him when she had no reason to, "Sigma and Phi... they decided it was the best way to... um... calm you down. You activated the bombs and were going to... kill yourself." The last words were so quiet he had to strain to hear her.

"Because I finished my mission," he clarified with a taunting smile. "I noticed I don't have that damn capsule anymore, but it doesn't matter. You know why? Because in however-the-fuck many minutes or seconds, this place will be blown-"

"The bombs... have been deactivated."

Her quiet voice began to be drowned out by the blood roaring in Dio's ears. "What?!" he snarled, his head pounding with rage as he started to claw at the ground with his free hand. "What the _**fuck**_!? I – I didn't give them all of the passwords! How the hell could they have known there were even four of them – let alone the _fucking_ codes?!"

"Dio, please..." Luna mouthed, or whispered – he couldn't hear her. He was too angry; angry with her, with the world, with Akane, with his own _damn_ failure...!

Speaking of the old woman, she was snickered like the death-eluding _witch_ she was. "Left," she began with another shake of her head, "We could explore this conversation for days, but ideally, neither of us would fancy that idea. So, I will explain what I must, and you may react later."

He spat in her direction again, trying so hard to hit her shoes. "Fuck you," he snapped.

Her eyebrows twitched for a moment before the calm look returned to her features. "What's the matter, Left? Could you be upset because your sacred mission ended in _failure_?"

A part of him knew she was right, but there was one more aspect she hadn't considered. "Like hell. My mission was to sabotage the Nonary Game. I still have plenty of time, even with those fucking bombs deactivated."

"The game is over."

…_!_

Dio's heart sank instantly, his eyes bugging wide. "I- w-what?" he sputtered, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "No...!" Uncharacteristically, his voice grew quiet and cracked with disbelief.

"Luna, release him," Akane said, her hands once more returning to behind her back.

The younger female stepped closer to him, bending down and inserting a key into the handcuffs. A quiet click sounded, and Dio was free. He attempted to stand up and strangle Akane right on the spot, but his legs felt like gelatin. Clearly, he wasn't going to be going anywhere for a while.

Akane smiled and nodded. "Very good, Luna. Now, if you will, explain things to him so poor Left is not _left_ in the dark." There was an infuriating hint of mirth in her eyes at the pun.

Luna pursed her lips, her eyes shimmering with sadness and regret. Even in his current state, with his mind racing with thoughts and emotions at a mile a minute, he could tell she didn't want to say it. But something forced her to; come to think of it, since the game was over and she was still here, she must've been working for the old woman all along.

_Traitor. Bitch. _He thought, but his churning mental processes were preventing any form of communication other than wide eyes and garbled semi-words.

"Dio..." Luna whispered, looking away from him. "The others... the others escaped out the Number Nine door."

"...they just _left_?" he asked, his voice unnaturally quiet. He could almost understand them leaving him behind, but _Luna_? She had the trust of most of the players, if not all. Had she betrayed them in the end, or was there something else going on?

She nodded. "I'm afraid you and I... we were the only players left behind. And Ms. Kurashiki, of course, but she isn't a player."

He growled threateningly, causing her to scoot back just a bit. "How did she survive?" he asked, bewildered.

"You never did kill me, Left," Akane replied. "I'm sure you recall differently, but you were knocked unconscious before your blade could reach me. A pity; Brother should have sent a more competent clone, shouldn't he?"

Dio realized she was trying to get under his skin, but it was working, damn it! He scowled, retorting, "You forgot that you freed me, you old bitch. Now what's stopping me from strangling you once I can stand?"

"Simple. Luna will be keeping an eye on you from now on."

"And if I kill her?"

Akane raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't part of your mission, was it?"

"So fucking what?"

"I didn't realize you were so eager to disobey your Brother, Left."

"Excuse me?" he barked, crossing his arms.

The old woman chuckled and explained, "Your mission was to stop the Nonary Game, correct? Why would you do anything outside your mission? That would be a sin, according to your Brother, wouldn't it?"

Her hands appeared again, and she threw the knife in front of him. "Go on, Dio," she chided, "If you do not mind breaking Brother's rules and damning yourself, by all means."

He stared at the knife, eyes wide as saucers. "But... but I..." Damn it, he hated to admit it, but she had a point. Brother had specified to interfere with the Nonary Game, but he never said to kill anyone in cold blood. If Dio killed these two women, would he be disobeying the holy master? He would never achieve his divine recognition if he disregarded his orders – the same orders Brother had given him to achieve _salvation_.

Now that he was stuck in this place _forever... _There was no way out, he knew. He had got in easily enough, but there was no means of escape from the inside. The number nine door wouldn't open ever again.

Was there any hope for his soul to be forgiven? Could it be... _free_, like he so desperately yearned for?

Shakily, he stumbled to his feet, emptily gazing through the other two. "I... I have to... free myself," he murmured.

Luna tilted her head, as if she didn't understand, but Akane had clearly heard him. "By all means," she repeated, nodding towards the door. He didn't even bother answering her, and before he realized it, his feet took him outside the infirmary, into the main warehouse. His lungs burned, and his head pounded, but he couldn't have anyone interrupting his chances of freedom.

He hadn't completed his sacred mission in the end, but maybe with Brother's divine mercy and guidance, his soul could be saved.

But he no longer had the strength to think about it; time was running out, after all. He would rot in this place, he'd die without the chance of ever returning to the holy father.

He readied the knife, the sharp edge pointing towards his heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **My OTP~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 3**

"Ma'am," Luna asked, her eyes shining worriedly. "Where is he going?"

"Is it not obvious? Luna, as a member of Free the Soul, he has simply realized what his fate shall be."

Luna's eyes widened, the cerulean-rimmed irises displaying fear and surprise, and she took a step towards her superior. "M-Ma'am! I thought you... you didn't want to send him back to his organization, because they would kill him..."

"Yes, that is correct."

"So why are we letting him...?"

"Luna, what were your orders?"

The Gaulem folded her hands in a nervous gesture, murmuring, "U-um... to keep watch on Dio, and, should he have them, let him fulfill his wishes to die..."

"Then '_why_' is none of your concern," the older woman snapped, making her way out of the room (presumably towards the elevator to Floor B). "A simple machine wouldn't understand."

Luna knew she _could_ understand, if Ms. Kurashiki explained it, but she knew not to disregard her creator's words. She wasn't allowed to interfere with Dio's wishes...

Still... another part of her ached. She knew it was an artificial ache, but it spread a coldness across her circuits all the same. She wasn't sure what it meant, to feel sorrow or sympathy, but she was almost certain her body was imitating those emotions washing over her. Her head whirled as she tried to imagine Dio slumped over – the knife sticking out of his chest, his pulse halting to a stop...

Luna had always been fond of humans. The caged bluebird around her neck reminded her of their freedom, their mortality, and how much she envied creatures with a beating heart. She longed to be able to bleed normal crimson blood, to not have to process exactly _what _sort of sentiment she had been programmed to 'feel'.

Dio was a bad man, Luna knew. He had apparently killed Ms. Kurashiki in many timelines, and had attempted to detonate the bombs hidden in the facility. That was unforgivable, even to the android's benevolent standards.

Still, she knew Dio's behavior was not _all _his fault. Or, at least, that's what she believed; she didn't know much about the man, given his status as a Myrmidon. But she was informed of Dio's identity as a Left clone. She could understand that much, at least; she, too, had the same face as another.

But there was little time to ponder anything more; Dio was in danger. It went against her orders, but she wasn't built to stand by and watch anyone die. Whether it was someone like Dio or Dr. Klim himself, it clawed at her mechanical heart all the same.

Ms. Kurashiki would have to understand; _she_ had built her with overflowing compassion, after all. Yes, Luna had followed orders during the game, even when others were in danger, but the stakes were higher. The Nonary Game was over now, and Dio was stuck in this facility for now. He had threatened to kill her, but he was more intent on killing himself right now.

And that concerned Luna. She felt the worry, deep in the wires of her core. If nothing else, that was making her rush through the door opposite the one Akane exited and down the hallways.

She jammed her finger into the button, and the Chromatic door slid open, leaving her a straight path to the warehouse.

As she ran into the center of the facility, she instantly noticed Dio standing near the AB rooms, muttering something she couldn't hear. Even from her position, however, she could see the glassy look in his eyes; the way he didn't really even notice her and kept his empty gaze on the Myrmidon knife. The tip of the blade was pointed towards his chest, and he had drawn it back.

Time seemed to slow down as Luna screamed and rushed towards him, throwing her hands out as if it would stop him. She didn't have the perceived strength to knock him over; doing so would only reveal her identity as a Gaulem. As it was, she was quite close to doing it anyway, for the blade was so close to his skin –

"My soul... my soul is free now..." His mumbles grew louder as the knife dug its way into his chest, blood seeping out from the wound and through his clothing. Luna cried out and, once she reached him, grabbed the knife hilt and managed to pry it out of his hands. Unfortunately, she had to rip it out of his flesh, but she had no other choice.

Dio swayed, his mouth moving as if to spit out insults, and his legs trembled. Luna cautiously squeezed the knife, her eyes looking over his pale form in concern.

"Um... D-Dio, you're... you're hurt..." she stammered, unsure what to say (other than the obvious). He didn't register what she said, tilting his head and consequently making his hat tumble onto the floor. That was the least of Luna's concerns, however, as his chest seemed to be hemorrhaging blood. It was amazing his legs hadn't given out yet.

He was shaking, his blue eyes wide and dilated, and his skin was about two shades paler. Sweat drenched his dirty blond strands of hair and his cracked lips were flecked with blood. Luna opened her mouth to whisper something comforting she could think of – _anything at all _would do – but his arms shot up in defense instead as he began to yell incoherent phrases. Her heart twisted as she took a few steps toward the man, a concerned look washing over her face.

"Dio..." she pleaded, "Let me help you..." Her eyes filled with spurious tears; she felt the bubble up behind her eyelids and slip down her cheeks in sympathy. "Please..."

"Get _back_," he hissed instantly, shuffling away from her. "Get back, back, _back..._!" Like a frightened and wounded animal, he seemed to curl in on himself in defense, his arms crossing over his bleeding chest. The knife was a few feet away from him; by some stroke of luck, he didn't seem to notice it. Luna had half a mind to kick the horrid thing away, but she was more concerned about where he thought he was going in that condition.

His boots took him back as far as he could manage, until he couldn't hold himself up any longer. The strength seemed to drain out of him all at once, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, showing the whites. The sight frightened Luna, but she still watched in horror as his knees buckled and his upper slammed into the ground. His hollow eyes lifted up to glance her way for a moment before they fluttered closed.

"Dio," she whispered, letting out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and approaching him with caution. Despite how close she was getting, he didn't move. His breathing was labored, a wheezing sound escaping his dry throat. Blood had already begun to pool around his chest, sending chills through Luna's circuits.

She bent down, unsettled by the lack of reaction from the eccentric man. Dio was growing paler by the minute, and when she pressed her fingers to his wrist, she could feel his pulse slowing down. There wasn't much time.

Making sure he was fully unconscious, she shot one quick glance around the warehouse before gently flipping him over and looping one arm under the backs of his legs and the pressing the other onto his back for support. It was natural for her, being something not human, to possess inhumane strength, but Dio could not know that. She supposed her old orders to keep quiet about her identity still stood effective, and she didn't want Dio to know, anyway. She wasn't sure how, exactly, he could abuse that knowledge, but she was almost certain he'd try.

She lifted him with ease, turning around and began running at a fast enough pace that wouldn't harm him further. Her burden didn't move, his breath becoming even more shallow. Casting a worried look down at him, she continued her pace until she reached her destination – the treatment center.

A simply trip to the infirmary wouldn't be enough for Dio, she assumed; he _was_ bleeding rather profusely, after all. But she had been taught that the pods in the treatment center work wonders on even the most horrible of wounds, and were even powerful enough to freeze and preserve a human for years and years (as she had directly witnessed more recently).

There was absolutely no question on how to heal him; Luna was confident the pod would do the trick. Thankfully, whoever had investigated this room had already performed the vegetation test with the plants in the room. Carefully, barely shifting the cargo in her arms, she pulled the lever to open the pod. With a hiss, it creaked upwards, and Luna set the injured man into it. Once she laid him out, she noticed the sticky blood covering her dress; she would need to change later on. As much as she longed to have blood in her system, the sight of the red fluid unsettled her.

She had seen Dio unconscious before, chained to the infirmary sink, but she hadn't ever seen him looking so vulnerable. Even with Soporil flowing through his veins, he still wore that defiant scowl on his face. But now, in his weakened state, he seemed much smaller – more fragile. Of course, Luna realized that humans were _all_ fragile; so much could go wrong with their systems and kill them. And if she didn't hurry, Dio would die of blood loss.

"You'll be okay," she promised him, and closed the pod. The quiet voice from the pod's speakers announced its current functions.

_[Identifying subject... done. Diagnosing subject... done.]_

_[Beginning treatment.]_

_[Single human occupant secured.]_

Turning to the screen, Luna nodded to herself as the healing function automatically set up. The screen displayed Dio's vitals: his body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory frequency all were lower than normal, but the healing function would help bring them up again.

As her eyes scanned the diagnostics, Luna noticed a few chilling words near the bottom of the screen.

_[Radical-6 virus detected in subject. System is not equipped to treat Radical-6. Current program will alleviate symptoms, but cannot cure viral infection.]_

Luna's mouth gaped open. Of course, how could she have forgotten?! Everyone who put on a bracelet was at risk for contracting the virus, and Myrmidon or not, Dio was no exception. But after using the machine to copy it, she had administered Axelavir to everyone who was sick, except for...

_Dio..._

So this was her fault. She had forgotten about him, chained to the sink like a wild animal. What if he had succeeded in killing himself? She'd be responsible for a human's life lost... It didn't matter if it was Dio; it would have hurt her all the same, and she would be going against the first Law of Robotics.

Still, he was out of harm's way for now. She had to keep him in the pod and hope the Radical-6 symptoms are treated until she could copy a bottle of Axelavir. But she wasn't sure she should leave him just yet. It wasn't as if he was in danger anymore, being safe in the pod, but Luna still hesitated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing behind her. She didn't even bother turning her head; there were really only two possible others entering the room. And since one of them was still recovering from his body-swap, Luna could make an educated guess on who was approaching her.

Tightening her grip around her bluebird necklace, she murmured, "H...hello, ma'am."

When no response came, she slowly glanced in the direction of the door, only to be met with the sight of the older woman wearing one of the fiercest glares she'd ever seen on a human. Ms. Kurashiki had her hands tightened into fists in front of her, trying to maintain a controlled front, but the Gaulem saw right past it. Luna _had_ disobeyed her; it was only natural for her to be angry.

"Ma'am... I- I'm sorry..." she began, her voice trembling.

"_Luna_," Akane rasped, her elderly voice laced with fury, "What have you done?"

The android's eyes flashed back to the blue screen of the pod, the message "_[Currently treating: 1 subject]_" blinking in pixelated letters, and brought her gaze back to Ms. Kurashiki once more. She swallowed hard, biting her lip, and folded her hands.

"M-Ma'am, I couldn't... Dio was going to _die_..." Despite herself, sadness clung to her artificial heart again. She couldn't imagine anyone killing themselves, especially in her presence...

The older woman shook her head. "Luna, what were your _orders_?"

Luna flinched, breaking eye contact almost instantly. "To keep watch over Dio, ma'am. And, um... if he wishes to die, then I must... let him."

"Precisely," Akane snapped, baring her teeth. "You deliberately disobeyed me, Luna."

"But, ma'am-"

"No. Open the pod at once and leave him be."

Luna shook her head instantly, standing in front of the pod almost protectively. "M-Ms. Kurashiki, I'm sorry, but I _cannot_ do that!"

Akane sighed deeply and replied, "Explain _why_ you cannot."

The Galuem lowered her head, clutching her necklace tightly and reciting part of the code she was built on. "The first law of robotics is... a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." This went beyond her desire to prevent death, and to protect humans. This philosophy was embedded into her very core; her circuits were based on the rules.

She lifted her gaze once more to stare as confidently as she could at her creator. "The second law is that a robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law. Ms. Kurashiki, by my inaction, Dio would have died. And I had to disobey you to prevent his death. I'm sorry, but I... I have to follow these rules." Luna knew that if she didn't have the Three Laws to guide her, she'd be as competent as a toaster. She wanted to possess free thought, and she wanted to be able to make her own guided decisions.

Akane's glare faded into the same emotionless expression she often wore. "I thought you had forgotten those rules long ago. I'm surprised, Luna."

It was obvious that Ms. Kurashiki was referring to the fact that she had ordered her Gaulem to lie to the others, to the humans, and subsequently put their lives in danger. She hadn't regarded the Laws then, but right now was a less crucial situation. The lives of all humanity was on the line before, but right now, the only person that was in danger was Dio. Prisoner or not, he was human, and she refused to harm him now.

Luna shook her head. "No, ma'am, I haven't forgotten. I never will."

The old woman's eyes flashed with something unreadable for a brief moment, and her smile faded. "That may be, but do not forget that, as your creator, I have the authority to shut you off completely."

"I... I haven't forgotten that, either."

"Good. Do not think I will hesitate to power you down if you disobey me again."

Ms. Kurashiki's threats were always serious, and Luna understood completely. If she could help it, however, the Galeum would make sure Dio never attempted to kill himself again.

"Yes, ma'am." Pursing her lips, Luna cautiously began to walk towards the door. "Um... I'm heading to the infirmary to retrieve the Axelavir bottle and copy it. I'll be back in a few moments."

Akane curled the corners of her mouth into a smirk. "Are you certain I will not simply shut off the oxygen in Left's pod before you return?"

"That's easy," the android murmured, the tiniest hint of a smile on her freckled face, "If you wanted to kill him directly, I'm certain you would have done it by now."


	4. Chapter 4

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **My OTP~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 4**

When Luna returned to the treatment center with a freshly-copied bottle of Axelavir and a glass of water for Dio, she noticed instantly that Ms. Kurashiki had disappeared. Only for a moment, Luna worried that she had actually turned off Dio's oxygen, but her fears were alleviated when she found the blue screen displaying the same stats it had before she left.

Sighing to herself in relief, she approached the pod. It was so quiet in the room; she could only hear the sound of her breathing in and out.

Luna didn't need to breathe; the reflex had a code written into her program, but she wasn't required to use it. However, in her desire to feel more like a human, she decided that breathing was a much-needed part of the image she wanted to uphold.

The pods didn't have windows, so she couldn't see how Dio was. The machine would tell her if there was an issue. Casting a glance over at the pod's screen, she noted that his vitals were slowly rising;

she grinned a bit, comforted by the sight. Dio seemed to be on his way to recovery, and was out of harm's way.

But just to quell her worries, she decided she'd have to open up and see for a moment. It wouldn't be too long, of course; surely not long enough to hinder the healing process. Besides, she needed to administer the Axelavir as soon as possible so it could begin working, anyway.

Pursing her lips, she pulled the latch to open up the pod. With a quiet hiss, it lifted and revealed an unconscious Dio. His chest was rising a bit more steadily, and his puncture wound seemed to have stopped bleeding. The blood that was once flowing freely had finally begun to dry, and there didn't seem to be any infection.

Carefully, she lifted his arm and brought the needle of the gun to his arm. With a wince, she pressed the trigger, draining the red fluid from the vial into Dio's bloodstream. Once it was emptied, she brought the gun away and smiled to herself, looking him over once more.

Dio's blond hair was unravelled from his braids, falling over the sides of his face. Cautiously, she pushed some of the sweat-drenched hair back away from his face. He didn't react to the touch, not even a mumble or a sluggish motion to swat at her. Nothing. Once again, she was reminded of how strange and disturbing it was to see Dio like this.

This scene reminded her of something, but she couldn't place it for a few moments. Her gaze trailed over his prone form as she made mental notes of his condition. Breathing was steady, the prick from the Axelavir gun wasn't bleeding...

His eyes were closed, and he looked... _peaceful_. His complexion was still a bit pale, but he didn't resemble a corpse like before. No, right now, it was as if he was asleep; his expression was relaxed, his lips pressed together in a thin line and no tension showing in his face.

_...oh! _

As soon as she realized what Dio's position reminded her of, Luna gasped and brought a hand up to her mouth, surprised at her own silliness. With a thin smile, she gave one last glance to Dio and closed the pod.

Luna had been "born" in the facility, and had never seen the outside world. However, she loved to be told stories; though her model was built to forever be a woman in her 20s, a part of her was quite childlike and adored fables of fantasy and adventure. Her favorites were, by far, fairy tales. Dr. Klim often commented on how starry-eyed she'd get at the mention of a princess in a far-away castle; she couldn't help but adore them – they were so magical and pleasant to hear.

Dio's unconscious body reminded her of one of her favorites: the legend of a maiden locked away in a deep slumber by an evil enchantress's spell. The kingdom fell into despair, fearing they had lost their princess to sleep forever, until a shining prince rode in on a up to the maiden's tower. His sword was able to kill the enchantress even in her dragon-form, and he made it to the princess's room unharmed.

Admittedly, Luna's favorite part was when the prince found the princess, still under the spell in her bed. No matter how long the maiden, Princess Aurora, had been asleep, it only took one kiss from her prince to wake her. They fell in love at first sight and ruled the kingdom together, happily ever after.

Just thinking about the tale sent a small blush through Luna's circuits. Of course, Dio was hardly a suitable standee for Aurora, and Luna was _no_ prince, but the situation prompted her to make connections nonetheless. She giggled softly to herself, wondering what Dio's reaction would be to her thoughts. Provided he didn't kill her on the spot, she imagined he'd be flustered and start cursing.

Speaking honestly, she'd prefer _that _Dio to this one. She loved humans, regardless of the way they presented themselves. She'd learned a long time ago that just because someone does bad things, it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. Ms. Kurashiki was a prime example of that; she heard her talking to Dr. Klim one day about the men she had manipulated someone into killing. Despite doing that, Luna knew Ms. Kurashiki was a good person underneath. She had to be, right?

Luna wasn't sure if Dio was a good person, but she did intend to find out whether he _could _be while she was in charge of him. His background was... less than ideal, so did he even have the ability to change? Was there an opportunity? If he was not under direct orders from his superior – much like Luna was during the Game – what sort of person was he normally?

Sighing once more, she sat down next to the pod, noting that they needed some chairs in this room. According to the monitor, the healing process would take another hour. That wasn't a big deal for the android, as she could simply shut herself off for that time. Like a computer, she had the ability to enter 'Sleep Mode' at will. Even the slightest noise or prod could wake her up if she chose, so it was a function she often utilized.

One of her favorite things about Sleep Mode was the program Dr. Klim had installed for her. He had taken notice of her desire to feel human, and set up a process of "electric sheep," as he called them – screensaver fractal flames generated by her main drives – that allowed her to "dream".

These images used to be part of a distributed computing project, transferred from computer to computer across the internet. However, due to her setup being a bit more complex than a normal hard drive or laptop, her images were more personal. The sheep were still fractal flames, but they were representations of Luna's tastes and experiences. For example, many of her dreams were blue in color and flew around, as reference to her bluebird necklace. It was very important to her, after all; her favorite possession, given to her by the doctor himself. She also hoped the soft blue pastels in her dreams were referencing Dr. Klim's favorite shirt.

A smile curled on her lips; thinking of Dr. Klim always calmed her down in times of distress. She did love him, in the ways a robot could love a human, but sometimes she could fool herself into thinking it went deeper than an artificial bond. Sometimes she claimed her heart sped up at the sight of him – that her cheeks grew a flushed pink color around him. It was an illusion, but she wanted to think it was the kind of love in fairy tales.

Slipping her eyes closed, she gave a pleasured sigh to herself and took a deep breath, feeling her circuits shut down. There was a slight whirring sound that filled her artificial brain before she dissolved into the darkness.

–

Dio's consciousness was at a halt. He felt limp, no longer in charge of his own limbs, as the never-ending black seemed to smother five of his senses at once. He couldn't move, couldn't even_ think _as he floated through endless darkness for what felt like an eternity.

What had happened? Where was he? _Who _was he, and why was he here? The answers eluded him as he racked his brain, trying to find any sort of familiarity that could clue him in.

Slowly, his ears opened up to the world, and he recognized a dull humming. His heavy eyelids twitched and he pried them open; it wasn't very effective, however, given that the same blackness refused to let go of him.

Panicked, he forced his head to move to the side, rewarding him with both a thump and a slight jolt of pain. He hissed lowly, confused as to why his eyes were not working. Were his eyes shrouded? He tried to bring his hand up to touch his face, but felt his arm hit something on the way. Moving the other arm yielded the same results.

Weakly, he attempted to sit up, but banged his head yet again on whatever was above him. Even his half-conscious mind could tell that he was trapped in some sort of containment chamber. His breath hitched; he wouldn't go so far as to call himself claustrophobic, but tight spaces did frighten him, especially in his disoriented state.

He tried to let out a quiet groan, but it ended up sounding quite pathetic and raspy. He thrust his palm into whatever was enclosing him...

...nothing. The echo hit his eardrums harshly, and he heaved a deep and tired sigh. He was beginning to feel sweat trickling down his face; he was _trapped_. If he couldn't move, he wouldn't be able to escape, and soon air would run out and he would suffocate and die here, choking to his last breath...!

"Le... let me out!" he cried, choking on the words. _Someone has to be here! _He began to panic, smacking the thing harder and harder. "_**Let me the fuck out!**_"

Some recollections returned to him; he had attempted to kill himself with the knife, and then... what? Somehow, he'd survived, and... now he was in a box? Had Luna found him? Put him in a coffin or some burial shit? But he wasn't dead! For whatever reason, he wasn't dead, but he was going to die here if he didn't get out...!

His mind wasn't his own; he was a wild animal again, desperate for freedom. He needed escape, he needed _freedom_, and he would fight nail and tooth for that. Instincts settled in as he screamed and kicked and punched the walls, trying to survive.

He would cry for help, but _Dio _is not one to beg. He wasn't going to swallow his pride, little as he had at that point, and cry out like a kitten needing its mother's milk. He was an animal, but he was going to _fight_ as he always had.

And it seemed his efforts were awarded. Light flooded his vision, temporarily blinding him, and the walls opened up. He gasped for air, forcing himself to a sitting position. "Wh...what the hell...?" he panted, his throat on fire.

He lifted his head to scan his surroundings. Thick glass partitioned the room from another section. A picture of a lion was on the other side of the glass, along with a tank full of floating creatures he couldn't see from where he was.

It all definitely looked familiar, though. After a few more minutes of silent thinking, he recognized the room.

_Oh._

...so this was the treatment center, and he had been in a healing pod. He had never been in any danger.

It made his blood boil (he had panicked for nothing?), but his thoughts were broken temporarily as he noticed the sleeping figure next to the pod. She was sitting on the floor, her eyes closed and her head drooping. Melon-colored strands of hair, broken off from her braids, hung limply in front of her face.

Dio cocked an eyebrow at the sight. If he wasn't so hell-bent on his mission, he would have probably stopped to appreciate her beauty. Appreciate it, mind you, not indulge in it. He had enough trouble with women in the past; Brother made it clear that he could look, but was absolutely not allowed to touch.

Still, she looked rather peaceful and innocent like that; hard to believe she was in cahoots with that Kurashiki bitch. Appearances can be misleading, he supposed, but Dio didn't appreciate being tricked. He was the sly fox of the group; no one else should have had the right to deceive everyone!

_Damn it! _He angrily slammed his fist into the side of the pod, causing Luna to jump. Her ice blue eyes snapped open and she glanced around, momentarily confused, until her gaze rested on Dio. She smiled, her expression reading nothing but pure relief and a hint of concern. It infuriated the blond, but he was still feeling dizzy from laying down so long. Instead of snapping at her, he simply narrowed his eyes, watching closely as she stood up carefully, brushing off her dress (which was stained with something faded red – his blood?).

"Dio..." Her voice was as soft as ever, much to his anger. "You seem to be doing a lot better! I'm glad." He twitched in annoyance at the smile that crossed her lips. It was too... pure for someone who turned out to be a traitor. She honestly looked relieved he was okay, and that _pissed him off_;he hated false care even more than pity.

"Why the hell am I still alive?" he snarled, gritting his teeth. If he recalled correctly, he had felt a strong desire to die. Looking back, it was probably Brother's divine wish willing him to dig the Myrmidon blade into his chest... His blood would be only one cog in the master plan of the almighty father. It was a small sacrifice to pay for eternal salvation.

His hand felt heavy – damn bandage was still wrapped around it – as he lifted it to grab at his hat instinctively. But his fingers brushed against his hair, and... nothing. Where was his hat? Confused, he scrunched his eyebrows together and glanced over at Luna with a dumbfounded look.

He opened his mouth to ask where the _fuck _his hat was, but his breath caught in his throat and he ended up breaking down into a series of raspy coughs, clutching at his throat. Over the hacks, he heard the gentle chime of ice cubes against glass; glancing over in her direction, he stared at the cup of water Luna was holding out for him.

After he narrowed his eyes in confusion, she gave an almost imperceptible nod and an encouraging smile. He grabbed the glass roughly, sniffing it for poison (not like he cared at this point anyway). He drank greedily, the fresh water cooling the raw fire in his throat. Come to think of it, wasn't he bleeding earlier from screaming his lungs off? That shit _still_ hurt.

Sighing, he handed the empty glass to Luna, an unasked question on his lips. Why did she have to meddle and save him?

She seemed to pick up on his thoughts, and looked away for a moment. "Dio... you... you were infected with Radical-6."

"Oh." The word escaped his lips so casually; it was probably an inappropriate reaction to being told he had contracted a deadly virus. But he was sent to the facility to allow Radical-6 to He sighed, shaking his head and swinging his legs over the side of the pod.

"D-Dio!" Luna's voice rose slightly from her usual whisper, "You're still injured..."

"Yeah? Mind telling me what the _fuck _you thought you were doing?!" he hissed, curling his lips back in a beast-like snarl. "I don't give a shit if I got Radical-6 or if you're lying again! I just wanted to die, so you should have fucking let me!" He struggled to his feet, his legs trembling, as he yelled at her. She flinched, recoiling at his volume, but didn't stop looking at him with those _damn _sympathetic eyes.

She clasped her hands together, pursing her lips. "I'm sorry, Dio, but I couldn't let you die. Ms. Kurashiki even ordered me to let you, but I couldn't. I... I can't bear to see anyone die like that."

He opened his mouth to reply, but she stopped him. It was so unlike her, he noticed, and she didn't seem to like being forceful. But apparently, it was necessary. "So, Dio," she said, her voice firm, "I am going to be taking care of you until you get better. I will not let you attempt that again, no matter h-how much you may want to! So please... just let me be of some use, okay?"

Stunned, he looked into her light blue eyes, searching for some hint of deceit. She was lying; he knew she was...!

...nothing. He growled, angry at himself for not being able to see it – angry at _her_ for hiding it so well.

Sighing, he sat back down in the pod, nodding his head. He was their prisoner, not even allowed to off himself. He didn't know what the Kurashiki bitch's plans for him were, but considering they could torture him, being babysat by Luna for the time being wasn't that bad. He would have to wait this out, and comply, until he could reach Brother.

He took a deep breath, giving a mirthless smirk to Luna, and allowed her to wrap bandages across his chest.

There was still time. He'd just have to think of a plan to get out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **My OTP~

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 5**

"...there," Luna announced, tying off the last bandage around the man's torso. "Is that comfortable?"

Dio rolled his eyes and twisted his sides slightly, feeling an irritating pain shoot through him. But he had to admit, the cover was snugly wrapped around him, and didn't rub his wounds the wrong way or anything. He guessed Luna was experienced in this kind of stuff; didn't she mention once she had a medical license? Maybe she worked for the old woman as her nurse or something.

Suppressing a cruel smirk at the thought of the Kurashiki bitch not able to hobble out of bed without help, he nodded in reply. "Yeah, it's fine." Like hell he was going to thank her; she didn't _have _to do shit for him. It was her choice.

But the girl didn't even mind, or notice. She held up a finger in thought, indicating an explanation to come. "Unfortunately, the pod takes a lot longer to heal physical wounds completely, and I realize you won't want to lay in it all day... Unless, of course, you would like to sleep in it?"

Dio instantly shook his head. The thought of being in that thing, even while asleep, sent shivers up his spine. The dark and constricting feeling enclosing him with those walls felt unnerving; it was nothing short of a nightmare. He couldn't afford to be reduced to a frightened kitten in his enemies' presence.

Luna curled her lips to a small smile, continuing, "I had a feeling. So, I've decided to manually treat your injuries. It should take a few weeks to heal completely."

Scrunching his eyebrows, Dio thought, not for the first time, how long they intended to keep him in this hellhole. He was a prisoner, and he had nearly accepted the fact, but that did not stop him from wondering what the hell they wanted.

He opened his mouth to ask, but she cut him off with another dumb smile. "You'll be feeling better in no time," she murmured, confirming her words with a nod. "So, um... do you need anything?"

Obviously, these people didn't know how to treat their POWs. He tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes, wondering if he should test the limits of his status. Luna might have betrayed the group in the end, but she still seemed easy to manipulate. "Yeah, I'd like a way out, if you don't mind," he snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Luna pursed her lips and looked away, a disgusting pitiful look settling into her light blue eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Dio, but that is one thing I cannot let you do..."

He knew it was too good to be true.

But... but she _did _falter. Dio was quite perceptive of others' emotions and weaknesses; from the others' points-of-view, it probably didn't seem like it. However, he could be quite the actor when he wanted to be. Free the Soul trained him well, and he had rehearsed his part in this Game for months. His role was a bit idiotic, and he played ignorant more than a few times, but that ultimately helped him in the long run with the bombs. If he could pretend he didn't know about simple shit like Schrödinger's Cat, then he could surely perfect his poker face when important things came up.

Brother had taught him that skill, actually.

Anyway, Luna hesitated for a moment before answering; she looked... meek (though Dio didn't trust her as far as he could throw her) and her response was quiet. Maybe she was a naturally shy person, which was possible, but there was a definite _vulnerability _in her gaze.

Just as he predicted, he had sniffed it out. If nothing else, Dio was skilled at sensing weakness, and Luna's was clearly her compassion. Her sense of care controlled her actions and thoughts; he had trouble believing she was truly that profound at deceit.

As much as his instincts screamed to kill her on the spot for getting in his way, he knew that doing so would be suicide. The Kurashiki bitch was in cahoots with Luna, and the second he stepped out of line, he didn't doubt a penalty.

But hadn't he attempted to take his own life, anyway? He didn't exactly have a purpose anymore; Brother wasn't going to tolerate him failing his sacred mission. Shouldn't he just finally kill the Kurashiki bitch and end his own life while he was at it?

The thought wasn't as appealing as it was a few hours ago, or however long it had been since he gouged the blade into his chest. Maybe it was because of the smallest iota of hope he had left in his heart. It was still possible that Brother would give him a third chance to prove himself. Of course, they were slim odds, but if he died, he'd never know.

So he owed it to Free the Soul – to the Myrmidons, to the holy master Himself – to get out of the facility and return home somehow. When he mapped out the mission, he had included an escape route via his transmitter setup outside, but he wasn't so sure it was still working. Regardless, that was his last chance; he'd have to make it outside, contact the Myrmidons, beg for forgiveness, and hope for the best. If, and only if, they didn't accept him back, he could die.

But even he wasn't stupid enough to think he had a chance of escaping this facility for the time being. It wasn't very practical, but Dio decided to assign himself the new mission: gain Luna's trust, use her to get outside, and go home. He was loyal to his affiliation, and would return to base to let them decide his punishment for failure. It wasn't his place to decide to die now; his soul may still have a chance at salvation, after all.

Of course, it would take some crafty manipulation to get Luna to let him out; while he couldn't decide whether she was either too naïve or simply that good at acting, the fact remained that he needed to grab ahold of her tightly.

She seemed like nothing more than Akane's little puppet, after all; but soon, she would be dancing in Dio's palm.

Dio's attitude seemed just a little bit brighter, Luna noted as they walked through the hallway together. They were heading to the main warehouse, where she would lay down Ms. Kurashiki's rules for him to follow while he was here.

Truth be told, Luna had no idea what her creator planned to do with him, but she did know this timeline was doomed. Kyle hadn't stopped Radical-6 in this path, and the earth was destined to fall to the virus. Luna couldn't say she was afraid, but the thought of the rest of the species dying off on earth made her materialized stomach churn. Besides, once Akane and the Doctor died, she'd be alone; she didn't think Kyle was still around, either.

But Dio was here. Was his purpose now to stay here until he died? The thought was frightening; Luna knew that if she were human, she certainly wouldn't want to be stuck in Rhizome-9 for the rest of her mortal life.

Was Dio scared? He didn't look it, but he was a terrific actor. It would be admirable if he hadn't used his skills for evil purposes.

_No, not evil... _

From what she had been told, _Brother_ was evil, and the Left clones were little more than soldiers blindly going into battle. Luna didn't particularly think Dio was evil himself, but his actions and orders certainly were.

It reminded her of the tale of Snow White; the Doctor had once read to her and, much to her embarrassment, compared her to the princess herself. Anyway, in the tale, the queen who ordered Snow White to be killed was definitely evil, but the huntsman she ordered to kill her was not. In the end, of course, the huntsman couldn't morally follow through with his orders, while Dio simply failed. Perhaps it was not the best example.

She was compassionate by nature, but she wasn't so sure she could forget what Dio tried to do, and what Free the Soul had already done. Helping to wipe out the human race was an act even _she_ couldn't forgive.

"Hey," Dio's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked over at him, blinking in surprise. He had an expecting gaze set on her, as if he was waiting for an answer to some question.

"O-oh! I'm sorry, Dio," she replied with a nervous smile. "Could you say that again?"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I asked where we were headed. I know this prison's layout already, so what is there to see?"

Luna hummed to herself, thinking of an appropriate answer. "We're going to look around, anyway. I want you to be aware of where you are allowed to go, and what areas are off-limits. There are also some rules to follow..."

The blond raised an eyebrow, scowling. "And let me guess. I'd better follow them, or you'll kill me?" he snorted, shaking his head.

Shaking her head, Luna replied, "No, we don't intend to kill you, Dio. But we do have a way to detain you, should you get… rebellious." She pointed to his wrist, with Akane's bracelet still clinging to it like a black and gray coiled snake.

He followed her gaze to the watch, grimacing at the useless BP still flashing on the screen. "Fuck this," he spat, yanking at it. "We're not in the fucking Nonary Game anymore! What can this possibly do to me?!"

"B.O.! Moony! Whazzuuuuuup?!"

Luna smiled slightly at the digital image of Lagomorph on the wall. The rabbit's hopped up and down as it waved them over. Dio bristled, but followed Luna over to the A.I.

"Hello, Lagomorph," Luna greeted with a smile. The computerized animal was cute when he wasn't ranting about death. "I thought Ms. Kurashiki disabled you?"

"She did for a while! It was awfully lonely...! But I came hopping back hare as soon as I could!" The A.I. giggled to himself as he sillily sprang about.

"The hell is this? You're back?" Dio hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Go the fuck away! It's bad enough I'm stuck here. Now I gotta deal with _you_ too?!"

"Aww, B.O.! You're all banged up! What _hoppened_?"

"Like you don't fucking know. You were probably watching like always behind the scenes somehow. Get lost, you damn rodent!"

Lagomorph flinched, frowning and putting his face in his paws. "I get it... you don't want me around..." he whined. Without warning, he perked his head up with an "Psyche! Like I would let your stinky opinion bother me!"

"Fuck you!" Dio drew his fist into a ball, almost as if he was going to punch the rabbit. Luna hoped he wouldn't; if he did, it wasn't going to end well for him. Lagomorph was only a hologram, after all, and the wall behind him was quite solid.

Fortunately, the young man didn't make a move and simply dropped his fists by his sides, clenching his fingers tighter together. He growled under his breath as the A.I. cackled at him.

"Silly B.O.! I _hop _you would be smart enough to know not to try to punch a hologram~" he teased. "Anywayyy... I'm here to make sure you kids get along, 'kay?"

"What is it you've been asked to do, Lagomorph?" Luna asked calmly; she hadn't expected Ms. Kurashiki to activate him again after the Game's finish. Was he aware that the Nonary Game was over?

"Moony, I just told you! I'll make sure ol' B.O. here behaves. If he thinks about pulling any _bunny _business, I press this silly little button and he'll be penalized! Oh, how sad! I _carrot_ bear it!" Once more, the rabbit pretended to sob.

So it was a bit of extra surveillance. Luna was glad she had a bit of help in her task of rehabilitating Dio. Turning to him, she said quietly, "Well, Dio... The rules are fairly simple."

"Yeah?" Dio scoffed, tapping his boot on the ground. "I'm listening." It was clear he was trying not to lash out at her; she was very thankful for that.

"Well... You can go in any of the rooms used for the Nonary Game, provided I go with you. Lagomorph is able to see all over the facility, so he will keep an eye on us. If you try to kill me, disable Lagomorph, or harm anyone else here, you will be penalized." More quietly, she added, "Please... don't let it come to that, Dio."

"Tch," he replied, gazing down at the bracelet snapped around his wrist. "Guess the joke's on me for purposely putting this shitty thing on."

He had a point, but Luna wasn't going to agree; she had a feeling that would make things worse. She couldn't say she liked Dio all that much, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Besides, she was in charge of helping him change, if he could. Mocking him wouldn't do any good.

"Anything else?" Dio asked impatiently. "I'm stuck here, and if I pull anything, I die. I get it. So what now?"

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but a low, grumbling noise interrupted her. Dio's face flushed a bit as he wrapped his arms over his belly, murmuring curses under his breath. Luna couldn't help but giggle, placing her hands over her mouth sheepishly.

"S-shut up!" he yelled, groaning as his stomach lurched again. "Fuck... I haven't eaten since..." He paused, thinking for a moment. "I don't even fucking remember!"

"Well, if you're hungry, Dio, let's go get some food from the pantry," she suggested with a smile. He glared towards her but nodded regardless, mumbling under his breath as he followed her out of the warehouse.

"Byeeee!" Lagomorph's yell echoed throughout the large warehouse until the door shut behind them. "Byeee Moony! Byeee B.O.! Have a nice trap!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Can androids fall in love? Are they capable of human emotion? In a world filled with copies, what does individuality mean anymore?

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **I have up to chapter 8 on AO3. My apologies that this one is behind – apparently the VLR and 999 categories are gonna be combined soon? I hope they hurry that up. :l

Also, reviews are super appreciated!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 6**

Luna giggled as Dio scarfed down the loaves of bread, devouring them like a starved animal. He munched and crunched without even taking a breath, crumbs littering his lap and the floor around him. She watched him, amused at his instinctive actions, until he finally slowed his bites down.

"Fuck," he gasped, wiping his mouth with his arm. "I've fasted before, but that was just... fuck. It felt like I hadn't eaten in months."

Radical-6 _did _speed time up, Luna thought. It made sense for him to feel that hungry; what he thought was a few hours was, in fact, a few days. She pursed her lips, watching him gulp down the water she had gotten for him.

"You got a great selection here," he noted after swishing down a bottle of water. "Guess I found the one good thing about being stuck here."

She gave a small smile. "Have you had enough, Dio?" she asked, folding her hands idly. He cocked an eyebrow at her suspiciously, looking over the food's remains once more. "What's the matter...?"

"Did you fucking poison it?"

"What? No, of course not!" Luna assured, shaking her head. It made sense, she supposed, for him to be suspicious, but why would she go to such lengths to save him just to poison him with food later?

She pointed that out to him, invoking a growl in response. "Doesn't mean you wouldn't do it. You and that old bitch aren't very bright, are you?"

"Bahahahaha! B.O. is claiming Master and Moony aren't smart! Who's stuck here again?" As if on cue, Lagomorph's childish voice echoed through the pantry. During the Nonary Game, the rabbit was limited to the Warehouse B, but now he had access to all the rooms Luna herself could access. His image wasn't projected, but his voice could be heard as clearly as if he was right next to them.

Dio didn't particularly like that, though. He stood up, albeit a bit shakily, and hissed at the ceiling. "Where the fuck are you?! I'll snap your neck!"

"You wouldn't kill me, would you, B.O.?" Lagomorph whined. "I _carrot_ believe you would do such a thing...! How cruel!"

"Damn right I would," he huffed, curling his lips back in a snarl. "If you weren't a fucking computer virus, I would feed you to foxes!"

"Oh, not _that_! Anything but that!" Lagomorph cried, his worried tone dissolving into more laughter. Luna found herself chuckling under her breath; the rabbit was always in a good mood, that was for sure. It was almost... cute.

"What the fuck are you smiling at!?" Dio's hiss startled her. She looked over at him with wide eyes, dismissing her little grin instantly. The last thing she wanted to do now was anger him further (though it was quite easy to do so, given his temper).

With a more genuine smile, she replied, "I'm sorry, Dio. It's nothing, I promise." She gave a nod to confirm her statement. His eye twitched, but he said nothing in response and began tearing through a packet of cookies.

The sight was amusing: this terrorist man, who was on the verge of death less than a few hours ago, was wolfing down pastries like they weightless globs of Jello. Luna had to suppress her smile once more, but couldn't help the warm feeling washing over her circuits. This feeling was as close to relief as she could feel; he was fine, and he would be healthy again soon.

Dio finally slowed his chomps down, wiping his mouth sloppily with his sleeve. Panting, he gazed over at her and muttered something she didn't catch.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head a bit and straining to hear him.

Growling, he crossed his arms and looked away. "...Thanks, I guess. For letting me eat or something." She could tell it was difficult for him to say, given how he was practically grinding his teeth to dust, but she appreciated it. Smiling softly, she nodded and didn't say anything more on the subject. Instead, she stood up and walked over to the door.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go first before you go to sleep?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What the fuck do you mean, sleep? I just woke up!"

"Yes, but..." Luna hummed, trying to think of how to explain in a way that wouldn't anger him. "You're still weak from your wounds, so you'll need plenty of rest. You see... one of Radical-6's symptoms is one's sense of time speeding up. While it may feel like a few hours, you've been here a few days."

For a second, and no longer, there was a flash of surprise in Dio's teal eyes. But it was gone so quickly, Luna thought she had imagined it. His trademark scowl was on his face again, but his eyes were distant. Why had that caught him off guard? Did he know that already, perhaps? His mission was to put on a bracelet...

"I knew that already," he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "We fucking _invented_ it, remember?"

She hadn't forgotten. But Dio wasn't Brother, and she considered the possibility that he hadn't known. Besides, he hadn't caught it before (as far as she knew), so she felt the need to explain what had happened all the same.

Pursing her lips, she replied, "Of course. Well... in any case, Dio, your body is still very weak from the virus. It should be all out of your system soon, but you need to catch up on the time lost."

He ground his teeth again, snorting, "Yeah? And what's stopping me from high-tailing it out of here when I'm supposed to be asleep?"

Luna sighed, looking away and explaining with one word: "Soporil."

Leaping to his feet, Dio glared and charged right up to her. A bit frightened (though she knew he couldn't harm her), Luna took a step back. He had so much hate in his eyes; was he angry because he couldn't escape, or was there another reason he was this angry?

"You fucking little-!" he yelled, lifting his hand as if to strike her. She flinched; she couldn't feel pain, but she was more worried about what would become of _him_ if he went through with it. Plus, it was a natural reaction to an incoming hit.

"Dio, _stop_!" she yelled, her hands instinctively crossing over her chest defensively. She was gentle by nature, and rarely raised her voice, but her body and actions were more mechanical than they'd ever been before.

" ! Not. A. Good. Idea!" Zero III piped up through the speakers on the ceiling. "If you touch Moony, you'll be penalized _fur _sure!" The digital voice sounded far away for a moment, and it took both Luna and Dio to hear the words and process them. Dio started yelling at the rabbit again, leaving Luna to quietly watch.

He would deny it later, but the Gaulem saw it. Seconds before Zero III even piped up through the speakers with his warning, Dio's hand stopped in mid-air. He had faltered, for whatever reason. Dio wasn't one for physical aggression, based on what she had seen during the game. Save for his attempt to stab her creator, Dio's mischief seemed more sly than outright physical. His tactics were almost... cowardly (not that she'd ever say that aloud).

Her own reaction to the raised hand struck her odd, as she usually didn't flinch – why was there any need to? Her body could withstand much, much more force than a human's, and she couldn't feel pain. But she reacted like a human would in that situation. Like a normal, young woman, she had cringed at a man's raised palm.

It was twisted, she knew, but the thought made her smile.

"Hey, Luna!"

Once more, Dio's rough voice snapped her out of her own musings. Her eyes met his, and she didn't find the same anger and hatred as before; rather, the same distant look had returned.

"Let's go to the damn Warehouse already. I forgot to grab my hat." He was annoyed, but not furious as before. Luna had missed his banter with Lagomorph; was it that mood-changing? She'd think the rabbit would anger him further...

Regardless, she nodded with the same smile she always wore. At this point, it was a habit more than actual happiness. "Of course," she murmured, hurrying to the door. As they walked through the hallway to the warehouse, she noticed Dio following sluggishly. She guessed the pain seeming to settle back into his knife wound; he had moved too quickly, it seemed.

Luna almost blamed herself for provoking him.

This was only the first day, Dio reminded himself. He had plenty of time to gain her trust and get out of here. But, he supposed that nearly hitting her wasn't a step in the right direction. He'd blame her for taunting him, but he found he couldn't.

He wasn't violent by nature. Defiant and aggressive, maybe, but not outright _violent_. And he'd never _hit_ a woman – though he knew he was certainly capable of _stabbing _one. His mission was to stop the Nonary Game from succeeding, and killing Kurashiki would do just that. But he had respect for females, damned as they were, and he wasn't one for striking out like a beast.

But the fact remained that he didn't get Luna, and why she didn't get angry with him. She was afraid, it seemed, but she just went on like things were normal afterwards. That stupid rabbit had argued with Dio for a few moments while she stood in complete silence, but when she came back to reality, she was fine. He couldn't understand how her feelings were so compromised.

And things that he didn't understand pissed him off. Her stupid smile and innocent aura didn't make any sense. She was in cahoots with Akane, wasn't she? Was she that good at deceit, or did she just blindly follow the old bitch?

Thinking about it making him soft just irritated him further. Luna was a bitch, he told himself; a coldhearted wench who was keeping him here.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the blond strands. He noticed for the first time that his braids were undone. As they walked, he tied them up again as best he could, wincing at the dull burning sensation across his chest. The wound was throbbing, but he wasn't about to complain. He wanted his damn hat.

Finally, the door slid open and he found his beloved hat sitting by a pile of dried blood – no doubt his. He didn't even give it a glance as he picked up and dusted off the top hat, placing it back on his head. It fit snugly, as always, and he felt a bit better overall. Pleased with himself, he looked over at Luna. She was idly standing nearby, wearing that same _damn_ smile. He rolled his eyes and shrugged off the relief at wearing his hat again, and turned to her.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Um... well, we have a little bit of time until you have to sleep." He rolled his eyes at her motherly tone; like hell she was babying him. "Any preferences on where to go?"

He shook his head. "I don't give a fuck. You choose. Might as well get into a prisoner's mindset," he scoffed, shoving his hands into his jacket's pockets. He also noted, silently, that letting her choose what to do might help gain her trust.

She paused, thinking for a moment. "Okay, how about we go to the B. Garden?" He took note of how her eyes sparkled at the mention of the place; seemed she really liked the garden. Shrugging nonchalantly, he gave a nod to confirm her suggestion, and she responded with another naïve smile.

"Okay! Let's go, then," she said, opening the door and leading him outside. Or, as close as "outside" as he could get.

Luna was feeling quite pleased with herself as they made their way to the garden. She couldn't get her reaction to Dio's almost-strike out of her head. For just a moment, she had acted completely like a human. The thought made her smile and clutch her necklace tightly. Dr. Klim's unspoken words echoed through her mind: _Luna, happiness is closer than you think._

If that were the case, then perhaps she would find her happiness in this timeline, after all. Her lips curled into an even wider smile at the thought; she couldn't wait to find the Doctor and tell him. Though she did wonder where he was at the moment; probably working in his laboratory, as he always did. It seemed Ms. Kurashiki and he were both relying on Kyle to stop Radical-6.

Humming softly to herself – the tune of her music box necklace, as usual – she stopped as they finally reached the garden. Opening the door felt like a breath of fresh air (almost literally). Luna was overwhelmed by all the natural surroundings and the _green_...

She sighed dreamily, making her way over to a bench and sitting down. Truth be told, she was in too much of a daze to think about much else; she called Dio over and was surprised when she found him standing near the giant tree. His fists were at his side, shaking as if currents of electricity were streaming through them.

Biting her lip, she stood up and cautiously walked over to him. "Dio, is everything alright...?" she asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, he shrugged it off, shooting a glare her way.

But he didn't say anything. The exhaustion seemed to be catching up to him, as his eyes carried a glazed look over them. His gaze was fixed on something by the tree; Luna couldn't see from here, but once she approached...

She felt a hand grab her arm.

Jumping slightly, she turned around and found Dio in the exact position, only with an arm outstretched. "Don't," he hissed, his tone venomous. "Just... fucking _don't_."

Confused, she still nodded and backed away a bit from the tree. But she still strained to see what he was looking at with such anger; what could possible be there-

_...oh._

She recalled and saw it at the same time. The bomb. It was still there, by the tree. The screen no longer displayed anything, the machine completely shut off and inactive. Luna remembered the rush of relief she felt – fairly genuine, by her standards – when Sigma and Phi managed to save them all. At the time, their lives truly rested in Sigma and Phi's hands. And the rest of the group waited in the warehouse for them to either return or for the bombs to go off.

It was an extremely tense situation. Those that weren't unconscious were extremely worried, Luna included.

Of course, it made sense why Dio was bothered by the sight of it. She just didn't know how to respond; she had been so happy when the bombs had been deactivated, and she still was. But Dio's plan was foiled, and she wondered how that felt. Of course, she wouldn't ever be able to "feel" it, but... all the same, she found herself wondering.

She could say nothing. His shoulders were tense, but he eventually wrenched his gaze away from the bomb, an unspoken conversation settling between them:

_Can I touch the bomb?_

_No. Never touch the bomb._

She couldn't risk him setting off anything again. Sighing, she pointed to the small bridge leading them through the garden. "Let's go over here, okay?" Her tone was gentle, and strangely enough, he didn't protest. He nodded, and followed her without a word. Once more, she was reminded of how eerie his silence was.

And so they walked, over to the other end of the garden – slowly, of course, as Dio was staggering even more at that point. Luna knew she couldn't risk him being out for much longer; he looked positively drained.

Though she usually felt at peace in the garden, she was uncomfortable after seeing the bomb. Idly, she bent down to check on the skunk cabbage plants, feeling the soil to see if it was damp. It was, thankfully; Ms. Kurashiki must have been out earlier. Smiling, she rose to her feet again and turned to Dio.

"These are called skunk cabbages," she explained. "The part that looks like a flower is actually a leaf."

He cocked an eyebrow, finally finding his voice. "Is there a reason you're telling me this?" he asked, crossing his arms – carefully, she noticed, as he didn't want to press on his wounds.

"Um... no, I suppose not," she replied with a light giggle. "I just thought I'd share. These are actually the Asian skunk cabbage... there are both Western and Eastern skunk cabbages in North America."

Dio's eyes narrowed and he crouched down next to the plant. "Looks like a shitty plant," he barked. "I mean, it _looks _like a flower, but you said it's not?"

"No, it's not. It's a leaf."

"Yeah. Can't even be a normal flower like it should be. And..." He reached forward and felt the soil. "Someone actually bothers _watering _these ugly things?"

Luna nodded. "Of course. This garden is my favorite room in this facility... Everything is so full of precious life here." She clasped her hands together and smiled softly.

"Life isn't precious," Dio hissed, lifting his foot. Swiftly, he stomped down on the cabbage, rubbing the tip of his boot into the dirt. "Death is."

Her eyes widened, her mouth gaping open. "W-why would you...?" she choked out breathlessly.

Clearly ignoring her horrified expression, he continued, "We can achieve so much _more _in death. Our souls can be set free to achieve a happier state of being. Why live on this flawed planet when we can find a utopia for a small fee?"

Luna shook her head, her gaze downcast. "Dio, please... That plant... didn't do anything to you..."

He couldn't help it; he laughed at her naivete. "Yeah, so?" he scoffed. "Akane didn't do anything to me, and my mission was to kill her. I would have, too, without any regrets. This is what I was _made _for, Luna."

_And I was made to stop you! _

She didn't dare speak the thought. Instead, she looked away sadly, closing her eyes briefly and apologizing, mentally, to the plant life lost. It might be small, but it was still important to her. "We don't always... have a set destiny, Dio," she whispered, her words barely audible.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he snapped. "I know what my _destiny_ is. My mission, my _purpose_, is to achieve this divine status in the afterlife. And you can bet your ass I'll get it – no matter what it takes."

And Luna knew exactly what lengths he'd go to reach his goal set by the group that cloned Left's original corpse – far enough to take six billion lives as payment in the process.


	7. Chapter 7

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **There aren't many notes I have for this story, gomen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 7**

"Dio, do you need anything?" Luna asked with a small smile as the door to the infirmary closed. She noticed, not for the first time, how drained he looked; she supposed after his past few days, it was expected. His eyes were glazed over with drooping eyelids, his walk had lessened to a stumble, and his slouch brought his chest closer to the floor every second. Despite their spat in the garden – if one could call it that – Luna still worried for him.

Utterly worn out, he practically fell onto one of the infirmary beds, a groan escaping his lips. She was at his side in an instant, looking down apprehensively.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He rolled his eyes and took his hat off, gently setting it on the floor next to him. "These beds are stiff as fuck. This the best you got here?"

"Oh..." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear idly, nodding slightly. "Yes, unfortunately. Ms. Kurashiki's room is off limits, of course..."

"Not like I'd want to be in that bitch's room anyway. What about yours?"

"M-mine?" Luna blinked in surprise, thinking of a quick answer to supply him with. She didn't really have a use for a room; she had one, but she rarely used it. "Oh, it's... off limits, as well."

Dio's lips curled into a sluggish smirk. "Why? Got something to hide? Some fancy man magazines? Or maybe pictures of that old fart, Sigma..."

Her eyes widened, a sudden and unexpected warmth flushing through her cheeks. "E-excuse me? No, of course not! W-why would you think that?" Were her affections for the Doctor that easy to spot?

"Relax," he slurred, closing his eyes, "It was a joke. Jeez."

"O-oh, I see..." she replied, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "W-well, Dio, I'm going to give you Soporil now..."

Something told her that if he wasn't seconds away from passing out from exhaustion, he would have fought the needle until she had to hold him down. But as it was, he barely registered the pinch of the injection gun, and his breathing grew steady.

"Goodnight," she whispered, turning around and shutting off the light of the infirmary. Once more, she looked at him, making sure he was comfortable, and left the room. The dosage she gave him was a small one; it wasn't meant to keep him under very long. To be safe, she should have handcuffed him to the bed, but she was confident she'd timed everything right; she would be on her way back when he was just awakening.

Sighing and clutching her necklace, the Gaulem made her way back to the main warehouse. As the doors slid open, she peered into the large room. Zero III's image flickered onto the wall in the corner, the playful grin still on his 'face'.

"Hello, Lagomorph," Luna greeted with a small bow.

"Moooooony~! Hiya! Where're you hopping along from?" The rabbit pretended to hop in his restricted digital area, waving his paw back and forth.

Luna smiled softly; his never-ending enthusiasm and excitement was always refreshing. "Ah, Dio went to sleep. Well, I suppose it'd be more accurate to say that I put him to sleep." Her gaze drifted back towards the door leading to the infirmary. She couldn't help being concerned, but... what was there to worry about? Dio would be fine; she assured herself of this and shook her head clear.

Zero III giggled. "Awww, didja make sure to tuck him in?"

She returned his little laugh, shaking her head. "I suppose next time I'll bring him a blanket. He's only human, after all... I don't want him to get sick or be cold."

"Aww, Moony, you're too nice. I say he should sleep in the pond in the garden – face-down! That would be so _bunny_!" he cackled; the digital animal always did find so many things funny, especially when it came to his own puns. Luna couldn't say she agreed that the thought of Dio drowning was humorous...

"Oh dear," she murmured. "That... I don't think that end well for him..."

The rabbit cackled. "It's like I just said! You _carrot _hurt anything, Moony! It's not in your programming!"

Luna pursed her lips. It was true – she wasn't able to harm another. It went against the morals embedded within her. The Laws of Robotics helped control her actions and choices; she wondered if the Doctor purposefully designed them to guide her, or if they were programmed into each Gaulem's circuits. She herself had a number, just like the other units, but she knew there was a reason that she had skin. Ms. Kurashiki had a purpose for her, after all.

But that didn't mean she couldn't be turned off. The thought terrified her; what was it like to die? She had seen plants die in the garden, their forms wilting, brown, and dried up. Would death hurt her? No amount of force could hurt her physically. But perhaps it was a deep emotional pain; thinking about the Doctor not returning her affections did string something similar to sadness into her. It was probably a falsified emotion, but she latched onto anything resembling human traits.

But the truth was that the Doctor would _never _return her artificial love. Thinking about it caused a slight pang to her chest, but she appreciated the feeling nonetheless. If she were to die, though...

She wouldn't be able to see Dr. Klim ever again. That reality was perhaps the most distressing to her. It was for that reason she feared death; not because it would hurt, not because she'd be gone... but because he wouldn't be there anymore.

Suppressing a shiver, she turned her attention back to Lagomorph. "You are correct," she murmured, running her fingers across the bluebird necklace's cage. "I don't think I have it in me to bring harm to anyone or anything."

"Even B.O.?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice. Her tone, while still holding the soft volume, was firm and sincere.

Lagomorph giggled, waving a paw as if to indicate that he was only partially listening. "I will never understand that good nature of yours, Moony! Maybe it's 'cause Master programmed me to be so cute and adorable..." He trailed off for a moment and continued with a lower, ominous voice, "aaaand sadistic..."

It was true, but she agreed that he was quite endearing at times. She loved animals, and the holographic rabbit was no exception. He was definitely entertaining to speak to when he wasn't making death threats; she even found his rabbit puns cute.

"That's just who you are, Lagomorph," she replied with a small, sad smile. Lagomorph was designed to be the A.I. overseer for the beginning of the Nonary Game. He may be capable of acting and speaking independently (much like Luna and the rest of the Gaulems were), but he was still confined to his programming's cage.

Luna always wondered if she was the same, not able to thinking outside her mental "box". Of course, she still obeyed her commands, but she was capable of conscious thought. When Ms. Kurashiki had ordered her to let Dio die, she couldn't. Despite what she had been commanded to do, she was not able to fulfill the request. On the contrary, she had consciously denied it.

"Moooooony! You in there!?" the rabbit exclaimed, bouncing around. "What are you planning to do with B.O.? It could get awfully boring around here with the two of you just walking around! Maybe we should put him through the Nonary Game again!"

It had crossed her mind a few times. She didn't know how long it would take for Dio to be 'rehabilitated,' if it was even possible. After the incident in the garden with the plant, Luna couldn't exactly see a change coming to Dio anytime soon. And the possibility of him never changing did occur to her. She just wasn't ready to give up hope yet, and kept a tiny, unbreakable amount of faith in him locked away tightly.

It was just how she was. She saw the good in humans, no matter their flaws. Dio was somewhat of a challenge for her, as it was difficult to believe good of the man who tried to sabotage the Nonary Game (not to mention wipe out the entire human race).

There was also the problem of what they would do in the meantime. Dio was bound to become restless, and the facility only had so much room. If they weren't allowed to leave, what could they do to pass the time? It might be stressful for Dio to pace around like an animal in a cage.

Luna supposed that was why Ms. Kurashiki assigned her to this task. Though a woman of few words, Akane showed that she believed in her Gaulem. Clearly, she wouldn't have asked Luna to participate in the Nonary Game if she had thought she wasn't ready for the job. And as it was, Luna had gone through the Game wonderfully, feigning confusion and a vast range of other human emotions while interacting with the other players. This new task was a challenge, but she could do anything with faith invested in her.

The thought warmed Luna's circuits. She smiled brightly, turning her attention back to the rabbit. "I'm sorry, Lagomorph. I'm afraid I don't know what I'm going to do with Dio... But I will find something, I'm sure."

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to make him go through the Game again, Moony? I could set it up in your favor!"

Luna shook her head, her salmon-colored strands of hair bobbing to the side as she moved. "No thank you," she replied politely. "I think putting him through another Game would do more harm than good at this point. However..." She paused, biting her lip. "I would like to request that you unlock all doors I have access to. I want them to be able to open automatically."

It was purely for convenience, but she was also comfortable with the thought of the doors being unlocked in case Dio slipped off somewhere. This was just as much for his safety as it was for Ms. Kurashiki's and the Doctor's.

"Sure, Moony! I _hop _you will be able to control B.O., though!" Lagomorph cackled, bouncing around and clapping twice. Dramatically, he declared the task completed: "It. Is. So!"

Luna nodded with a giggle. "Thank you very much, Lagomorph!"

"Noooooo problemo. Wouldja like me to tell Master how you're doing with ol' B.O.?"

"Oh! Of course. Thank you." Luna sighed contentedly. It was nice knowing that her creator was still in the facility, keeping tabs on her. It would be unnerving for perhaps a human, but as a Gaulem, Luna was comforted by it. She didn't want to make a mistake, after all.

"Lagomorph," she added quickly, "What is the current time?"

The rabbit's voice took a rather mechanical tone, reminding Luna that underneath all that silliness, he was still a computer. "Earth rotation time indicates: 3:40 A.M., Greenwich Mean Time."

Luna nodded again, processing this information. If the absolute time indicated it to be early in the morning, she supposed she should give Dio at least 4 more hours to sleep. The Soporil should last that long, but just to be safe, she would go back to the infirmary and enter Sleep Mode for about 3 and a half hours. That way, she could 'awaken' whenever the anesthesia began to wear off.

After saying goodbye to Lagomorph, she made her way back to Dio, wondering what sorts of shapes and colors she'd see in her electric sheep soon.

* * *

Dio's awakening wasn't as rough as it had been. Instead of a slow, sluggish trek back to consciousness, his mind gripped certain memories right away and made his awareness metaphorically smack him in the face. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he sat up, pleased he didn't smack his head off anything this time.

Running a hand down his face and through his hair, he groaned and tried to grasp all the pieces of his memory that were fluttering about in his mind like feathers. His name was Dio, he was here for the Myrmidons' mission (and out of Brother's will), he had failed said mission, and...

Luna's face popped into his mind.

Oh, right. She was trying to 'rehabilitate' him. And he was trying to use her to get the fuck out of this prison. But he ended up losing his temper in the garden; granted, it wasn't his fault. After seeing that fucking bomb, anyone would've reacted like that. Why wouldn't he be pissed when his failure was on display like a fucking exhibit in a museum?

So he smashed a dumb plant. Luna wasn't happy with him – at least, if he remembered that correctly. But it wasn't helping his cause if he went and upset his ticket out of there. He had to try to control himself in those situations; so what if she was stupid enough to think 'all life is precious'? It's expected of her – of all humans – to be so naïve. And yet he chose to tell her off.

At least he could admit he couldn't control what he said sometimes.

But he made a vow to himself to at least _try _to monitor his temper from now on. Luna wasn't going to warm up to him anytime soon if he acted cruel. And he'd make sure to charm her into letting him out. It was different than falling for feminine wiles, of course; he was deceiving Luna, not being seduced by her. He was allowed to lie and cheat to obtain his goals. Luna didn't matter to him, anyway; she was merely another obstacle in his way.

He groaned, collecting his thoughts. However, a soft voice nearby interrupted him. "Oh, Dio – you're awake! Good morning!" Of course. The salmon-haired girl had appeared again, looking just as bright and cheerful as she had before. It was so annoying.

But, upon closer look, she was holding out a plate of food. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs, to be precise. "What's that for?" he rasped, taking note of how tired his voice sounded. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he rubbed at his stiff neck. Sleeping on that rock slab of a bed all the time wouldn't be good for his overall physical health. Maybe he could convince Luna to get him a pillow or something.

She smiled and pushed the plate forward for him. "Breakfast, of course," she replied, reaching down next to the bed to grab something else. He gazed down to look and noticed both his hat, a roll of bandages, and a bottle of antiseptic next to the bed. Wordlessly, she handed him his hat.

"Oh, uh... thanks," he mumbled, placing it snugly back on his head. Instantly, he felt a little better; his hat had an amazing calming effect on him, after all. Sighing, he grabbed the plate off Luna and started munching on the pancakes, not even caring that he was getting crumbs everywhere.

Luna gave a quiet giggle and looked at him shyly for a moment. He scrunched his eyebrows together, about to retort something in response to her ogling, but she spoke before he could get the chance to.

"Dio, I'm... I'm going to need you to take your shirt off again. I have to clean the wound and change the bandages..."

Oh. She was all nervous by that? He shrugged, slipping his coat off and pulling the black shirt over his head, careful not to knock his hat off too far. "Make it quick," he snapped, stuffing a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "You get this stuff from the pantry?" he asked, his voice garbled by the food.

Luna nodded. "Yes. We have lots of food, so you can eat to your heart's content," she explained, beginning to unravel the bandages and brought the antiseptic bottle closer to him. No matter how delicately she tried to be, the spray bit sharply against his bare skin. He winced, gritting the fork that had been previously supplying him with scrambled eggs.

Damn, that hurt. He remembered being clawed by a cat once; it felt a lot worse, but it was something he could compare it to. Like ten cats just clawing at his open wound.

But that wound was his own fault, anyway; he was foolish and forgot that he still had a chance of salvation. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.

The girl noticed his flinch, and patted his arm as if to comfort him. He opened his mouth to growl at her, but stopped himself. As hard as it would be, he'd have to _play nice_ if he wanted out of here.

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable and stinging pressure, Luna finally pulled away. "All done," she announced, blinking in surprise at him. "Oh, and... it looks like you're all done with breakfast too."

Dio shrugged. "Yeah. I was hungry, I guess."

_This is it – try it! Try saying something nice. She'll like it._

"...Thanks for feeding me."

_Good enough._

Luna did smile, an honest relief shining in her eyes. "You're very welcome," she said with a nod, and held out her hand for him to grasp. He complied, allowing her to help him stand, and slipped his shirt back on. He'd leave the coat here for now, he decided.

"Where are you gonna make me go today?" he asked, trying to feign boredom.

The girl pressed a finger to her cheek in thought. "I was going to ask you what you wanted to do, actually. I don't have anything in mind... besides the garden, of course."

"Damn, you really like that, don't you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes!" Her eyes sparkled. "Yes, it's my favorite room in this facility."

He thought he remembered her mentioning something like that before. Giving a shrug, he went over the options in his head. Surely they wouldn't let him anywhere near the Kurashiki woman? He couldn't see even Luna being that stupid. There was always the B. Garden, but he wasn't sure he was ready to see his failure on display again.

Absentmindedly, he ran a hand through his blond hair, his fingers assessing the strands' condition. Scrunching up his face in disgust, he realized how greasy his hair had become; with so much sweat, blood, and dirt it had been exposed to since he broke in, it was no wonder.

"...I could use a shower. You... have one of those here, right?" Instantly, he wanted to bite back that question; of _course _they had a shower here! Unless Luna and Akane were some some futuristic cyborgs or some shit that didn't need to shower. He snickered at the thought; would they power down in the water, or just start sparking and explode?

Luna didn't seem to take notice of his chuckles, however, and replied, "Oh, yes, we have one in the quarters. I can escort you there. Would you like some clean clothes? I could put your old clothes in the laundry..."

Now Dio sort of understood why Luna was here in the first place; she seemed like a good maid. He could see that old bitch being too helpless to function, and having to hire a housekeeper. Maybe that was all Luna was. "Sure," he mumbled, gathering up his coat and unceremoniously presenting it to her. He was half-tempted to ask if she ever dressed up in a maid's outfit for that old shit Sigma.

_No. Try to be nice, Dio. Nice. _

"So are you going to cry if I step on a flower again?"

_...Damn it._

Luna glanced over at him with a steady gaze. "No, but I would appreciate it if you would not do that again. We all have a purpose in life. Even plants... and yes, Dio, even you," she responded firmly, in a tone that both baffled and angered him, as well as simultaneously destroying any thought of an argument he had.


	8. Chapter 8

Electric Sheep

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **By the way, the cover image was drawn by AudreyLuck on Tumblr. She takes commissions and requests, fyi~!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 8**

Dio didn't _understand_.

Luna's words echoed his mind as he turned on the water and slipped off the remaining articles of clothing. The bathroom was quaint enough, sporting a bathtub and shower, toilet, and a large sink. Good thing they had some normal rooms in this place, else it'd look like some fancy hermit palace for old rickety bitches and their old rickety husbands and maids. Or whatever was going on in that fucked up family of theirs.

Still, the bathroom's quality wasn't bad, and considering his prisoner status, it could be a lot worse. Dio wasn't one to be grateful – especially not to the people who locked him up in the first place – but he respected that he was given this.

Though, to be honest, maybe shitty living conditions would make Luna want to release him faster. He had half a mind to just skip the shower and let himself get all grimy, but he did have standards. Always appearing rather groomed, Dio never liked to get too dirty. And he did have an amazing sense of fashion – not many could pull off the ringmaster look without it seeming flashy or an eyesore.

Without his trademark hat and coat – without the clothes he learned to tailor himself – Dio failed to see any individuality in himself. And he knew, deep down, that was how it was supposed to be. But another part of him craved to see something more in the mirror, despite the Holy father's teachings. It sure wasn't blending in that made him leader of the Myrmidons. If he hadn't stood out, he wouldn't have been noticed. Perhaps some individuality was necessary, if only to receive the recognition he deserved.

This was something he pondered on occasion. And he didn't think too much about things – he was given orders, and he followed them. But every-so-often, he would wonder just how different he was becoming from his brothers, just by choosing to dress a little differently. He obeyed all orders, so why should he think himself disloyal to the cause? All the same, it did eat away at him sometimes. If Brother wanted a world with perfect humans – perfect, unflawed, utopian beings – why was Dio so easily tempted by things like individuality and sin?

If his soul was saved, would all that disappear? Did he want it to? He wasn't sure, and that bothered him. Brother always saw him as a loyal follower, until...

One mistake.

He shook his head to banish the thought, realizing he was staring at his naked reflection in the mirror as the room filled with hot steam. Growling in frustration, he stepped into the shower, hissing as the burning water sliced at his skin like a knife. Placing an arm over the wound protectively, he adjusted the water to a comfortable, warm temperature.

He sighed, closing his eyes as the water trailed down his hair, washing away some of the grime that had caked into it over the past few days. It took some forceful brushing with his fingers, but he managed to drench every strand of his blond hair in the refreshing, clean water.

That was another thing that was different about him; his hair was much longer than his brothers'. Probably much longer than the original Left's. Brother never talked about the Prime, but Dio assumed that a kid wouldn't have shoulder-length blond hair twirled into braids at the end. That was his quirk alone.

_...again with the individuality...? _he thought, bitterly, lifting his hands to lace through his hair. He pulled at the strands, screwing his eyes shut.

_No individuality! A perfect world! PERFECTION! That's Brother's world!_

_(But is it your world?)_

"FUCK!" He screeched, his voice cracking. The pale green wall was mocking him; glaring, he struck his fist out into it. The tiled material crumbled under his hand, small bits mixing in with the blood and water that dripped down his fingers.

"Fuck," he repeated, retracting his hand and nursing the small cuts along his knuckles.

This sucked. He never questioned things before that mistake. He was but a drone, following his leader without hesitation. After fucking up, he had been doing everything to get his status back. He was perfectly fine with murdering an old woman or a group of eight other people – even going so far as letting himself die – all for his own salvation. And that was the most important thing.

...right?

"_We all have a purpose in life... yes, Dio, even you."_

Luna had to be wrong. Of course she was wrong; his "purpose" was to die cleansed of his sins. And that wasn't a purpose, so much as a goal to be achieved. She didn't know what she was talking about; she wasn't him. She didn't understand, being below Brother's sophisticated and complicated ideals. He couldn't expect her to understand. Luna was as dumb as the rest.

So why was she trying so hard to convince him of something like that? Something she didn't believe herself – because _why would she_? Clearly, she had mastered the art of deception, and was trying to sway him. But he feared it was beginning to work.

No. It couldn't. Not to someone like him.

Behind those soft smiles, behind that stupid pretty face, there was an evil, conniving sinner. No one in allegiance with Akane was that "pure," no matter how hard she tried to show it. She may have fooled the others into thinking she was so innocent – even going so far as to Ally every damn round of the Ambidex Game – but he wasn't stupid. He was a master at acting, after all – he could tell when another was lying!

So why was he even bothering to think about this? Why bother asking,_ Is Luna deceptive? _when he should know the answer right away?

"Fuck!" He closed his eyes once more and, taking a deep breath, tried to focus on the soothing sound of running water. He tried to transport his mind elsewhere – he wasn't here, he wasn't with these unclean people who were trying to mess with his mind by showing him fake kindness.

He was home.

The thought did calm him down somewhat, allowing his shoulders to loosen a bit and a content sigh to escape his lips. He couldn't afford to think about these things; they were toxic. The only things he had to think about were being saved by Brother. To do that, he'd have to get out of here and return to base, begging for forgiveness. If that was what it would take... he'd do it.

He would not think such poisonous thoughts. He had his mission, and he had to focus. It wasn't any different than the Nonary Game. And if he was content betting his own life during that, he could get home without any problems. It would take some crafty manipulation, but he could do it.

No, he _had _to do it.

Once he had washed himself with soap, he decided to take a bath. It had been so long, after all. After filling up the tub, he eased down into the water, wincing as it touched his open wound. The small stab wound didn't look like much, but it was deeper than it appeared. He was certain there'd be some scarring. The pod had worked wonders on it, though; he knew it would look a lot uglier had Luna not put him in it. Hell, he wouldn't be here if not for Luna.

Why did she save him, for that matter? Dio was nothing to her. No, scratch that – he was an _enemy_. If they only knew what Free the Soul did to their captured enemies. Yet here Luna was, letting him take a bath and giving him food and a bed to sleep on. Letting him yell and stomp on plants and nearly smack her. Giving him so much freedom.

Maybe she wasn't as lowly as he thought.

He sighed, dunking his head under the water and watching his blond strands spread out like a fan. Baths were a rare occasion for him; it was one of the only times he could stop and relax. Dio, by nature, wasn't a mellow person, so quiet things like baths weren't things one would think he enjoyed. But all the same, it was nice to stop and think for a bit (even if it drove him abso-fucking-lutely nuts nowadays).

"God fucking dammit," he mumbled, his voice's vibrations causing bubbles to gurgle on the surface of the water.

It made no sense, the way his mind ping-ponged how he felt about Luna. Was she an unredeemable bitch like he had thought, or was she simply a soldier for the opposite side? If she was the latter, rather than the former, why did it _matter_?

He just didn't understand.

Maybe he wasn't ever meant to.

* * *

Luna made her way down the hallway, towards Ms. Kurashiki's office in the facility. It wasn't a long trek from where she left Dio, in one of the bathrooms in the quarters. This section of Rhizome-9 was sealed off from the other parts, used only for its facilitators (i.e. Dr. Klim, Ms. Kurashiki, Kyle, and Luna herself).

The blond man seemed rather quiet as she left him, which sparked some curiosity. Dio wasn't known to be short of words; after all, he _had_ complained about his situation quite often since it arose. But instead of making a comment about the quality of the bathroom or asking how long Luna would 'allow' him to bathe, he listened when she told him she would be nearby if he needed anything and simply nodded.

It was strange behavior for him, and Luna wondered if he was alright. Perhaps what she said had thrown him off; soldiers of Brother didn't seem like the types of people who would believe they served a purpose. And Dio's own behavior proved that he himself didn't think he could achieve anything in life.

It was, to be honest, quite sad.

Luna knew her purpose. She would serve Ms. Kurashiki and Dr. Klim until they died or until she was no longer useful and shut off. Her existence was purely for someone else, just like Dio's, but at least she knew she was fulfilling something. There had been another with her face, yes, but Luna knew she was unique (the other woman wasn't a Gaulem, after all).

She couldn't even imagine having thousands with your same face. It was probably lonely, living in such an environment. Dio, and many other clones, probably developed a problem with self-value. If there were many that looked like them, what was special?

Luna knew Dio was his own person, though. She just wasn't sure how to tell him without comparing their situations and revealing her true nature. Dio didn't know, and she didn't _want _him to know. Not because Ms. Kurashiki could turn her off, not because it could be reserved information, but because it was comforting knowing one person she could interact with wasn't aware she was a machine.

Although his treatment of her wasn't the best, she was glad he was being _natural _with her.

Smiling to herself, she was brought back to reality by the beeping of the pin pad on Ms. Kurashiki's door. Her fingers hovered over each button in an accurate manner; this code was something that was embedded deep within her. Within moments, the door clicked unlocked and she cautiously walked in.

The old woman was sitting at her desk, presumably filing some paperwork. Luna smiled softly as she bowed and uttered a polite greeting, waiting for the other's approval before going further in.

"Ah, Luna. Come in," Akane rasped, stacking some paper next to her. She gestured for the Gaulem to have a seat in front of her. Luna made her way into a chair, smoothing her hands over her dress.

"Hello, ma'am. I wanted to just talk with you for a few minutes..." she began, folding her hands in her lap.

Ms. Kurashiki raised an eyebrow. "Very well. Where is Left?"

"He is taking a shower at the moment," Luna replied.

The older woman blinked, a curious expression flashing across her features for a moment. The look appeared and disappeared so quickly, Luna almost assumed she'd imagined it. Still, Ms. Kurashiki crossed her arms, fiddling with the ring on her finger and staring her usual icy stare into the Gaulem.

"I see. Hopefully he will not drown himself in the bath?"

_Oh. She's wondering if Dio is going to kill himself, now that I've left him alone. _Luna thought, pursing her lips and replying, "No, I'm certain he won't." She was almost surprised at how confident her voice sounded. But it was indeed how she felt; Dio was cured of Radical-6 now, and he seemed to be focusing on surviving now. At least, she hoped that she was reading him correctly, and that was the case.

"Besides," she added quickly, "I've asked Lagomorph to monitor him."

A wry smile made its way onto the old woman's lips. "Is that so? I'm impressed, Luna. You are allowing your charge much freedom."

"I... simply don't want him to feel like a prisoner here, ma'am," Luna replied honestly. "I know I wouldn't want to be treated like that."

Akane nodded. "You are quite kind, Luna. Sometimes, I do not realize how much."

A hotness flared on the Gaulem's cheeks; she giggled softly, tugging at her necklace in nervousness. She wasn't often praised by Ms. Kurashiki like this, so she wasn't sure how to respond. In truth, she wasn't sure how to respond to kind words in general, often blushing whenever the Doctor gave her a compliment. Being told something nice was an unbelievable feeling for her; it helped her cloak her true identity and see herself as a human worthy of praise.

"T-thank you, ma'am," she managed, her voice little more than a squeak.

Ms. Kurashiki leaned back in her chair a bit, her eyes hovering over the small voodoo doll placed on her desk. Luna had always wondered what it was, and its significance, but she knew it wasn't her business. It was probably something very important to the elderly woman, though.

"...Luna, was there something you wanted to ask me?"

Luna lifted her gaze from the doll, meeting her creator's eyes. "O-oh! Right... um... Well, I wanted to ask what we have planned for Dio. If, um, I am allowed to know."

"I mentioned that you are to attempt to _rehabilitate _him."

"Yes, ma'am, but do you mind if I ask for a few details? I want to be successful."

Akane crossed her hands in front of her, propping her elbows onto the desk and leaning into them. "...I have no plan for Left at the moment. Speaking honestly, his information about the Myrmidons could be useful. However, I don't see him surrendering it any time soon...

"All the same, I want you to get information out of him as subtly as you can, Luna. He doesn't trust you, but I believe he'll respond better to you than to me. I have watched your interactions with him; though he is still being a pest, I noticed his attitude is a sliver better in your presence."

Luna tilted her head. "With all due respect, ma'am, I hadn't noticed. I think Dio is still... well, I think he's still the same Dio."

"Of course he is – I'm no fool. But if I recall correctly, he was about to strike you. But something stopped him... Is he truly a coward that fears death as much as the 'unclean' humans he claims he's above? Or... perhaps he respected you enough not to hurt you. Or at least to realize what would happen if he did."

It was a small thing, but Ms. Kurashiki had noticed it. It had confused Luna at the time, but she had nearly forgotten now. Almost selfishly, she had focused on how it had related to her progress, rather than Dio's. Nodding slowly, she replied, "I... I want to understand clearly, ma'am... You want me to interrogate Dio?"

"No. Myrmidon agents are highly-skilled; they are trained not to give information so easily. Tying him down and forcing him to talk will yield no results. However, I'm certain with time, Left will come to an understanding. At least, you are the one capable of

"Yes, ma'am. I also wanted to ask something else..."

"I'm listening, Luna."

"I... I'm not sure the infirmary is the most practical place for Dio to rest. While he is still injured, the beds there are meant for clinical purposes, and they are not very comfortable for sleeping..."

The old woman chuckled lowly. "Your compassion is admirable."

Luna's cheeks flushed again, and her lips curled into a small smile. "T-thank you, ma'am..."

"Dr. Klim and I could never have predicted how deeply our product could feel."

Luna flinched, looking away nervously. That's right – this sort of behavior was expected of her. It was how she was built; she could not know any other way, could she? The Doctor and Ms. Kurashiki had modeled her to be a mother figure for their 'son,' Kyle, but he did not want her in the end. It had upset Luna greatly at first, knowing she could not fulfill the purpose for which she was created. She had nearly requested to be shut down, if she no longer serve their family in the way that was intended.

However, with time, the Doctor gave her a reason to enjoy her existence, and to be grateful for it. She owed him so much for that – so much more than her artificial life. He cared about her, told her fairy tales, and let her believe that she could feel human one day.

But every-so-often, she was reminded by those around her that she was built, not born – that she didn't have a beating heart, and in its place were massive amounts of wires and circuits.

Sighing softly, she held her bluebird necklace so tightly she feared it would break. After a few moments, she pushed away her dread and forced a grin. Akane didn't seem to notice her distress, or had chosen to ignore it.

"So, about Dio's room..."

Akane tapped her fingers on the desk in thought. "Consider it a reward for some information. Get him to talk, and I'll give him a room. The more he tells us, the better things will be for him here."

"Y...yes, ma'am..." Luna murmured, averting her creator's gaze. "Is it safe to dispose of the bomb in the garden?"

"Why do you ask?"

Luna glanced away for a moment, and finally murmured, "I... I think it makes Dio uneasy. I don't believe he means to try to activate it again... I've just seen him look so... nervous around it. Almost... sad."

Ms. Kurashiki stared at her desk, giving a slight nod. "I'll have the Doctor dispose of it soon. Hopefully, it will be gone by the time our _guest _is done with his bath."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Luna brightened, giving a soft smile. "O-oh! Just one more request... May I have some extra clothes for Dio? His are in the wash."

Akane once more gave a questioning look, then her head bowed in a nod. "Kyle won't be needing his clothes, will he? You can use some of his."

A chilling sensation shot through Luna; that's right, in this timeline, Kyle had failed to fix things. Even if his consciousness went back in time to stop Radical-6, the current stream of events wouldn't change. Kyle was still in the pod in the garden, an unmoving, empty shell of who he once was.

Not meeting her creator's empty eyes, Luna gave a small nod and headed for the door. "I understand. Thank you, ma'am."

As she left, she wondered, briefly, where Dr. Klim was at the moment. Had he been alone since the Nonary Game ended, left to grieve over the fate of his "son"?

* * *

Dio was just about done with his bath, draining the water and stepping out carefully. He wrung out his hair, trying not to drip water all over the floor. It wasn't because he wanted to keep their floor dry; on the contrary, it would be rather karmic if that old bitch slipped and broke her hip or something. But he recognized that he was injured still, and didn't want to risk tripping _himself_.

He grabbed a towel, running it quickly through his hair before wrapping it around his waist. His reflection was fogged up in the mirror, making it impossible to get a good look at his wound. Smearing his fingers across the glass cleared up his view. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, but Dio did notice the cut looking considerably better after soaking it in the bath. Pleased with himself, he gave a little smirk to the man looking back.

If he really thought about it, it was almost like there was another Left clone looking across from him.

"How'd you get hurt?" he asked the 'clone,' crossing his arms. "Clumsy little shit. You can't complete missions and achieve your divine status looking like a beaten dog."

The other Left crossed his own arms.

"Don't give me that look. It's your own damn fault for getting caught in the first place. Brother would be disappointed if he could actually get out of bed."

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips, the noise quickly escalating to a laugh laced with bitterness. He had no clue why why he was doing this, talking to his reflection like it was another fucking person, but it didn't help at all. In fact, he was certain he was projecting some self-loathing onto the pathetic mess staring back, and pretending it was someone else wasn't nearly as effective as he thought it would be.

Shaking his head, he limped over to the door, unsure of what to do next. Luna hadn't left clothes for him; he couldn't go outside in just a towel. He supposed calling for her wouldn't do any harm.

"Hey, Luna!" he yelled, banging on the door a bit. "Where are you? I need clothes!"

"Ohoho! This is a surprise! I had no idea B.O. likes to talk to himself!" The rabbit's shrieking voice sounded out of nowhere in particular, causing him to leap back a few inches in surprise.

"What the-" he stammered, his face growing pale. Had that rodent watched him shower!? "What the fuck? Is this how the Kurashiki bitch gets her kicks, then? Spying on people while they're takin' a bath?!"

More giggles echoed through the small room, and the high-pitched voice returned. "Nooooo, B.O., how many times do I hafta tell you – I am an A.I.! That's Art-oh-fish-al In-tell-i-jen-sss. I'm perfectly capable of free thought and was told to keep an eye on you! And boy, did I get an eyeful! Carrots help strengthen sight, after all!"

"I'll fucking snap your neck!" Dio screamed, punching the wall again. "Where are you hiding?!"

Just at that moment, the door swung open. The melon-haired girl returned, her eyes fixed on the ground as she held out a bundle of clothing.

"H-here, these are for you," she murmured.

"...thanks," he forced out, snatching the clothes and slamming the door shut in her face. "Uh, I'll be right out," he added.

He quickly slipped off the towel and dressed himself; they had even given him the whole package – a pair of boxers (Dio wasn't too happy with that, but he wasn't going commando), jeans, and a plaid shirt. Not his usual fashion choice, as it was much too plain, but he wasn't concerned about it at the moment. At least he wasn't in bloody clothes.

And his boots were left by the door for him, so he had a piece of his old outfit with him.

Still, he did wonder where they got these clothes. He hoped they were in a supply room like the food, but he wasn't sure it worked like that. As someone who tailored his own clothes, he had little experience with the outside world's clothing stores, much less the stock of some base facility on the moon.

"Kekekeke! _B.O._! You look so weird without your silly outfit!" Zero III's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Dio gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring in anger.

"Shut up!" he snarled, looking around frantically for any sign of the 3D model rabbit. Where the hell had that thing hopped off to?! Was it watching him now? From _where_?

As he swung open the door, the rabbit piped up again.

"Ohhh, and I had _no idea_ you had such a small carrot, B.O.!"

Dio's blood boiled, his face flushing with embarrassment and anger. He was about to punch another wall, guessing at random where the rodent's wires were hidden, but he stopped when he noticed Luna standing in front of him.

"What does he..." Her voice trailed off, a very confused look on her face. She honestly didn't know what the rabbit was referring to.

Unfortunately, the damned animal decided to step in and answer before he could tell her it was nothing. "Poor, naïve Moony! His _carrot_! It's more like a baby carrot, actually..."

Dio opened his mouth to retort something, but he couldn't say anything once he noticed her face growing bright red.

"S-stop looking like that!" he hissed. "It's not small!" He could've smacked himself; what did it matter to him, anyway? He supposed this was just his pride as a man, embedded in the instincts of every male animal. But fuck, he had said too much – in front of a woman, no less. He couldn't afford to get or give any wrong ideas.

Luna coughed, holding onto her necklace tightly and looking away, still blushing. Dio rolled his eyes and decided to drop the issue. Putting his hands on his hips, he asked, "So where to now? I'm not fucking sleeping yet; that bath woke me up."

"Of course not. I think we should air out your wound a bit, anyway. Oh... would you mind unbuttoning your shirt a little so it can breathe?" Her eyes fell to his chest, covered by the red plaid shirt whose original owner was still unknown to him.

With an irritated sigh, he popped off two of the buttons, exposing some of his chest. It was just a bit more revealing than his usual shirt, so it wasn't a bother. "There, happy?" he growled, crossing his arms.

She nodded with a small smile. "Let's go to the garden, okay?"

"You really like that place, don't you?" Scoffing, he shrugged. "Fine, fine. Whatever." In the back of his mind, he wondered about the bomb. Was it still by the tree, on display for anyone who happened to walk into the 'room'? The thought made him grit his teeth in frustration; was the bitch showing him it again to torture him?

_...No, she probably wouldn't do that._

He cursed himself inwardly; he didn't know what she would or would not do. Whatever. Whether or not she meant to instigate him, he wouldn't respond. He wouldn't give her or Zero III or the Kurashiki bitch or anyone the damn _satisfaction_.

"Let's just go," he snapped, beginning to briskly walk towards the nearest door. He didn't have a clue where he was going, but he wanted away from the laughing A.I. _now_.

"Ah! Dio, wait up!" Luna cried, hurrying to catch up. "Thank you for keeping an eye on him, Lagomorph!"

Dio turned around and hissed, "Yeah, thanks for watching me like a fucking _creep_ while I was in the shower!"

The rabbit just continued to giggle uncontrollably. "_Hop _to see you later, kiddos!" he cackled.

* * *

Luna hummed the bluebird melody to herself as they walked towards the garden. She was excited to see if the bomb had disappeared; Dr. Klim never disappointed her, after all. Dio would be very happy to see it gone, she was sure.

Speaking of the Myrmidon, he seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Perhaps the bath calmed him down a bit, and was just what he needed. Provided he didn't misbehave, she wouldn't mind leaving him alone in rooms like that, to have some solitude if he wanted it.

Though he seemed to be more pleasant overall, he was abnormally quiet on the way to the garden. She glanced back at him briefly, catching his unfocused gaze and furrowed eyebrows. He frowned when he noticed her looking at him; she smiled at him and turned back around.

Finally, after much too long, they reached their destination. The doors slid open, and Luna walked into the refreshing room. She mimicked stretching, the actual action not doing anything but the sentiment behind it still there.

Everything was just so _alive _here. Lucky organisms full of life.

She stopped walking when she didn't hear footsteps behind her anymore. Confused, she looked around for her charge.

"Dio..."

There he was, a few meters away, standing before the large tree. His head was tilted up towards the branches, until he slowly brought his gaze down, stopping as he settled it onto the location of the bomb.

Or, rather, lack thereof.

Scrunching his face in confusion, the Myrmidon looked over at Luna, and then back to the tree trunk. He blinked a few times, as if he couldn't believe it was truly gone. Finally, he bent down next to the tree, reaching forward and touching only bark and grass.

"Where'd it go...?" he murmured, shifting to rest on his knees.

Luna made her way over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, he shrugged it off, snapping a glare up in her direction but not saying whatever retort was on his tongue. Nodding slowly, she kneeled down beside him.

"I got rid of it," she said. "Well, technically, someone else did, but..."

"You did that?" He looked genuinely confused, tilting his head slightly. "_Why_?"

Luna folded her hands in her lap, looking over at where the bomb was at the base of the tree. "Well, because... it made you so... unhappy." She closed her eyes in thought, remembering Dio's haunted look at his failure on display. It may not have been that much of a big deal in hindsight, but it mattered to him. And no matter what he had done, it hurt her to see someone so hurt – even if it was over something that would have killed them all.

Perhaps she was weak, or soft. But she didn't care; it was worth it to see the relief in Dio's eyes next to her. The ever-so-slight traces of a smile that nearly formed on his lips.

That look disappeared in an instant, and his features dissolved back into a scowl, but she had caught it. And it made her artificial heart warm. Once more, Dio's minute actions – the ones he refused to show outright and kept hidden behind a mask of pride and dedication – had caused her to react in a way resembling a human.

Her smile widened, and she patted his arm once more.

"Don't touch me," he snarled, standing up quickly. "I don't know why you did that for real, but it was fucking useless anyway. It couldn't be activated again, so it didn't even matter." Running a hand through his still-damp hair, he added quietly, "Idiot..."

Luna ignored his reaction and stood up as well, pointing to the bench. "Let's sit down, okay?"

"Hmph." He crossed his arms and followed her without another word.

As they settled down, Luna thought back to what Dio had said a moment ago. He had mentioned the bombs were only used once, and could not be reactivated. Remembering Ms. Kurashiki's request, she swallowed hard and prepared herself. She had to do this; it was an _order_.

But she wasn't exactly skilled at interrogation, much less subtly doing so.

"So... did you have a nice bath?" she asked, off-topic to ease into the conversation.

"Yeah."

"Your clothes will be out by tomorrow morning."

He nodded, gazing at the grass for a moment before replying. "Thanks, I guess. Did you get all that shit off it?"

"They'll be clean," she assured; her dress that had been stained with Dio's blood was spotless now. Ms. Kurashiki's machinery was top-notch – even household appliances. Luna briefly remembered Dr. Klim telling her about when he argued with Ms. Kurashiki about how much advanced technology went into building their toaster.

Remembering that memory made Luna giggle softly to herself. With that to boost her confidence a little, she decided to try to shift the conversation.

did Free the Soul, um, created those bombs from scratch...?"

She wondered if mentioning the organization was a good idea. Judging by his bristling, hardened look, she could instantly tell it wasn't

He shot a hardened look over to her, bristling. She felt her 'heart' thump against her chest, her palms growing sweaty as she grew more anxious, as she waited for an answer.

"No. No personal things. You're not getting anything from me."

Darn. He had figured it out that easily; Luna knew she wasn't meant for this sort of work. But she would keep trying in the future.

At the moment, she thought it might be a better idea to focus on earning Dio's trust. Perhaps she could share something about herself...

"Okay," she replied to him with another smile. "I'll talk about myself. But first, I would like to tell you a story. Dio, do you know Maeterlinck's 'The Blue Bird'?"

Dio frowned, gritting his teeth and hissing, "Stop it. Stop talking. I don't wanna hear about any fucking bluebirds, and I don't wanna hear _anything _from you. I'm ready to sleep now. And..." His voice trailed off for a moment.

"Yes? What is it, Dio?" she asked.

"...Can you not give me the Soporil tonight? My wound's healing fine; I don't think I need it tonight."

She bit her lip. Keeping him sedated wasn't to help his injury heal; it was a way to keep him out of commission for a preset amount of time. True, Ms. Kurashiki didn't want them wasting much more of the anesthesia, but giving him a dosage before bed was still an improvement from his injections scheduled whenever he regained consciousness.

"Um... well..."

Dio swallowed hard, bringing his gaze up to her and forcing the word through his mouth: "...Please?"

Luna's eyes widened for a moment before she replied, "Well, I... I don't know, Dio..."

"I just want to try it without being drugged this time." He gave a slight smile, but it wasn't nearly as genuine as the almost-one a few moments ago. Luna blinked in confusion; why was he smiling now, when it was so difficult before? Unless this one was purely an act.

"Why do you want to, though?"

"C'mon, Luna – would _you _wanna be drugged just to go to sleep? I'm not gonna run off in the middle of the night. I want you to be able to learn to trust me, too." His lips curled further, into a wider grin, but Luna saw right through it.

He was trying to deceive her.

Her heart sunk at the realization. She didn't expect so much progress already, but it was still discouraging.

She nodded slowly and murmured, "Okay, that's fine. Though... I'm going to have to lock the door, or handcuff you to the bed."

_Or both. _She added silently.

The Myrmidon nearly glared at her, but she found the familiar exhaustion creeping into his gaze as he kept the lazy, fake smile on. He didn't seem to want to argue anymore.

"Whatever..." he murmured. "Works for me. Let's go." He stood up, crossing his arms again impatiently. Wordlessly, she led him out of the garden, not even looking at the conditions of the plants as they left.

They made their way back to the infirmary rather quickly. Luna noted how he uncomfortably sat on the bed, but realized she couldn't do anything for him unless she received some information. But she certainly couldn't tell him of her deal with Akane; who knows what he would try to do?

After handing him a blanket and pillow she had placed in the room earlier (to at least try to make him a little more comfortable), she clicked one handcuff around his wrist and the other to the bed's leg.

"I'm sorry if this is a little rough, but it needs to be done," Luna told him, not meeting his tired gaze.

"Thanks a lot, Luna," he replied with that 'sweet' voice. What was he _doing_? Didn't he know that it was almost _painfully_ easy to detect what he was up to?

"You're welcome," she said quickly, turning around and shutting off the light. "Goodnight."

And quietly, she locked the door behind her and made her way down the hallway, her mind abuzz with thoughts.

She felt like a fool. Why would she believe that she could 'rehabilitate' him so quickly? What made her think that it would take virtually nothing to change a trained Myrmidon agent?

But she wasn't just angry at herself. She almost felt _insulted_, as well. Dio honestly believed a few smiles was all it took to manipulate her. She would have to play along for now, but she wasn't as easily duped as he thought.

Once more, her mind drifted to a fairy tale allegory to help her think of what to do next. Dio's mannerisms and personality reminded her of Flynn Rider, the thief-turned-prince of the movie _Tangled_. Dr. Klim did have a copy of the movie, and Luna and Kyle had watched it together many times during the clone's 'childhood' (though he had preferred to watch it with Akane instead most of the time).

From what Luna could remember, in the movie, Flynn tried to trick Rapunzel into giving him what he wanted and then he could leave. Rapunzel had something he wanted, and he tried everything he could to get it back.

But, like the princess in the tale, Luna was no fool.

It would be in her best interest to keep the fact that she was onto Dio to herself for now, however. With him acting like that, she could possibly get the answers to make his life a little better. Though it made her out to be too childish and innocent to recognize manipulation when she saw it, she might be able to play along for a bit.

As she settled down for Sleep Mode a little later on, her electric sheep were wild reds and crystalized blues. She wasn't sure what to think of these images, puzzled at the contrasting colors, but she didn't get much time to try to decipher them as she 'slept'.

For not long after she had shut down for the night, an agonized scream woke her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **This and the next chapter will probably be Dio-central.

Please, _please _review! I love reviews. They bring me the deepest amounts of joy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 9**

_Terror._

_Complete, utter, unavoidable terror._

Dio was running. Sprinting. From what, he couldn't tell – the beast's breath was hot on the back of his neck, and he wasn't keen on turning his gaze around to figure out his pursuer's identity. His chest burned as he ran, gasps and pants escaping his lips. He didn't know how much more of this full-on running he could take; it tore at his lungs and sent panic streaming through his veins.

The sudden urge to snarl out hit him, but what ended up escaping was a strangled cry. His eyes darted around, seeking out an escape. His surroundings were complete darkness, as if an ebony blanket covered the world. There was a hazy fog around him – the only thing that was not complete black in the area – that smelled sour and clogged up his senses.

What was chasing him? Why was he even running from it? Could he take it? Could he _try_? What would it take for his legs to stop moving, for his heart to stop pumping wildly; couldn't he just turn around and yell and curse the bastard out?

"_Stop it!" _

"_Leave me alone!"_

He had to try. As he tried to halt to a stop, his feet skidded against the ground as if it was covered in ice. Trying desperately to catch his breath, he turned his shaking body towards the predator. To his surprise, however, there was nothing there.

But he could still _hear _it. Its animalistic growls still sounded nearby, and Dio could sense movement among the fog – as if someone other than himself was maneuvering about it.

"Get the fuck out here and face me!" he yelled, his voice trembling.

Whispers buzzed in his ears, surrounding him and saying things he never wanted to hear from anyone.

_("Failure.")_

Dio wrenched open his mouth and screamed, all the breath leaving his lungs at once. They just – they wouldn't leave him _alone_! He didn't even know what was chasing him, or what was now prowling around in the darkness, but he didn't like it.

His heart was pounding against his chest as he spun around and continued to run. He noticed that his clothes were the regular Free the Soul attire; a black and red robe with the infamous insignia emblazoned on the breast.

What was going on? Was he back at base? But he was with Luna just a moment ago, wasn't he? Luna and her fake smile and stupid kindness that was obviously bullshit. Where was she?

"Luna!" he called out, hoping that the melon-haired girl would appear at his side; he needed to see someone familiar. Even if it was her.

No answer.

"_Luna!"_

He continued to sprint, his cloak melting off his skin and exposing his naked body to whatever was pursuing him. Crouching down, he tried to pick up the robe again, but it was a puddle of black liquid now.

And then he was in his ringmaster outfit once more.

_("Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for your one and only ringmaster... Dio!")_

The loud, echoing voice made Dio spin around just as the scene around him changed; he was in what looked like a low-lighted circus tent. He could barely see anything around him; there was a spotlight centered on him and the silhouettes of a crowd watching from stands far away. They were clapping and cheering, chanting his name.

_("Dio! Dio!")_

He wanted to spit at them and growl that he wasn't some cheap entertainment package to ogle, but the announcer interrupted before he had the chance to.

The spotlight moved along the crowd, showing all Left clones sitting in the back and middle rows, as well as the balconies. The very first front row, however, seated the Nonary Game players. Sigma, Phi, Clover, Alice, K, Tenmyouji, Quark, and Luna were all clapping along with the crowd.

_("Here he is, the greatest liar to ever live! Also known as Left D-10, heeeere's DIO!")_

Dio glared at the crowd as the spotlight shifted to him, the bright light blinding him. With a growl and a curse under his breath, he lifted his arm to block out the shining in his face.

_("Dio! Dio! Dio! Liar! Liar! Liar!")_

"I'm not a fucking liar!" he hissed at them, clenching his fists tightly. "Stop chanting!"

But the rhythmic words continued. Dio brought his hands up to his ears, their words like the screeches of dying cats.

_("Liar! Liar! LIAR!")_

"Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it _**stop it**_!" he howled, crouching down and digging his nails into the sides of his head in an attempt to cover his ears all the way.

There was a drumroll sounding above the crowd's roars, and a large cage was wheeled towards him. It was a rusty gray color and was about K's size, with a snarling sound coming from the darkness behind the bars. Dio looked around the side to see who was pushing it; of course, it was that fucking rabbit. Zero III hopped his way towards Dio, his form clearly not confined to a computer program and projector anymore. The rodent gave an infuriating giggle as he waved his paw.

"Heeeeeey, B.O.! I brought what ya need! _Lettuce_ get the show on the road!"

Before the blond could wrap his hands around the now-tangible rabbit's little white neck, the cage door swung open. The sheer ferocity of the deep rasping from beyond those bars made Dio take a step back. Clumsily, he tripped over himself and landed on his backside on the ground.

There was nowhere to run. But Dio wasn't scared; he narrowed his eyes towards the shrouded beast, clenching his fists tightly.

"Come get me, you bastard!"

Zero III sprang towards him and landed on his hat, his hind legs pounding down through the hat to push down on Dio's head. The rabbit gave another cackle and danced from his position on top of Dio. The blond swung angrily at the pest, trying to grab him or hit him or _something_... But the bastard was quick.

"B.O.~ I _hop _you're prepared for our main event tonight! Is everyone ready to see Dio the Liar take on his sins?"

The crowd roared, the Left clones' expressions sheerly ecstatic. The Nonary Game players each had a distinctly cruel smirk on their faces. It was as if these bastards knew Dio was outmatched, and were _enjoying_ that prospect. Even Luna had a little smile on; it was gentle, not cruel, but she had to be pleasuring in his pain, as well.

A low growl sounded from the cage, and the beast stepped out. It was a lion, clear as day; his roars making Dio flinch against his will. He swallowed hard and staggered to his feet, narrowing his eyes and getting a good look at the cat.

The thing was huge. A thick mane covered its face, large lips held onto something bright in its mouth. Its tail lashed behind it as it flexed its paws, the claws on each toe dripping with crimson. Dio assumed it was blood, but he didn't want to think about it too much; the feline gave another fierce roar, encouraging the crowd's claps and howls.

Zero III giggled, his voice amplified as if through a microphone. Dio brought his hands up and held his ears, trying to block out the cackling.

"_Momento mori_!" the rabbit cried, facing the crowd from his perch on Dio's hat. "_If the nineth lion ate the sun_!"

So the beast had a small sun in its mouth. Clever.

More cheers erupted. Though he took a step back, Dio still stood defiantly against the lion facing him. "I'm not afraid of you," Dio snarled at him, his fists shaking at his side. "You can eat the fucking sun out of the sky and I'll still kick your ass! I won't let you get the best of me!"

At the point, the blond wasn't sure who he was talking to. Zero III? The lion? The crowd? Left clones? The Nonary Game players?

Perhaps it was a bit of all of the above.

Zero III leaped off his hat and onto the ground, giggling again.

"Ready, B.O.? Have a nice _trick_~"

He hopped away, joining the other Nonary Game players as the lion stared Dio down. The small 'sun' (or whatever that thing really was) it had in its mouth dropped lifelessly to the ground, and it began to prowl forward. Man and beast glared at one another for a few seconds before the latter burst into a short run towards the former. The lion's jaws curled into a snarl, revealing razor teeth glistening in the pale circus light. Dio's boots were planted firmly on the ground, but he couldn't deny the way his legs were trembling.

Still, he would not falter.

"Come get me, you fucker!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, spreading his arms out like a barrier. The lion roared again, the noise sending shockwaves of sound through the whole circus. Dio didn't shut his eyes, but he did brace himself for the impact.

_("Dio! Dio! Dio!")_

The crowd's chants were infuriating, but he tried not to listen. They were getting louder as the lion grew closer, pounding in his ears.

He could see Luna's form from the crowd, wearing a look of pure, twisted pleasure in place of her usual apprehensive expression. It made him sick.

"I'm stronger than this," he murmured under his breath as the massive beast closed in for the kill.

And just as the lion's front paw touched him, it dissolved into darkness. The blond stood, his eyes wide and unblinking, as the creature's black foamy appearance infected the rest of his surroundings. As Dio lifted his hand, he realized that the muck had claimed him, as well; his skin was a sickening black color, producing smoke as if it was on fire.

Dio gazed towards the crowd, and realized they were frozen – like statues, unblinking and unmoving and so _eerie_. The wild colors of the circus had begun to gray, and eventually darkened as well.

What was happening?

_Fuck! _He couldn't speak the curse, for the dark shroud smothered him. He fought to breathe, to _escape_ – but the entity was heavy, constricting around him and rendering any chance of sound useless.

But who would hear him, anyway?

* * *

Luna's artificial pulse pounded in her ears as she ran out of her room. "Oh no, oh no, oh no..." she murmured to herself as she passed through the main warehouse towards the infirmary, her breath catching in her throat.

How could she have been so foolish?! Letting Dio – a known terrorist and near-murderer – be by himself in a room without sedation...! Though he was handcuffed and the door was locked, she wouldn't be surprised if he managed to find a way to escape. Why was she so naïve?!

If Ms. Kurashiki was hurt, or if Dio had hurt himself – it would be all her fault. She would have broken one of the Laws of Robotics, if not all three at the same time. The possibilities of who screamed, and why, raced through her mind.

Dio could have stabbed himself in the chest again. He could have drowned himself in a shower, or... slit his wrists somehow...

Or... perhaps Ms. Kurashiki was lying dead somewhere. Dio's Myrmidon knife could be sticking out of her chest. The thought sent shivers down Luna's spine, making her stop for a moment to calm herself down.

Her panic just grew worse as she realized the possibility that Dr. Klim was also dead; albeit slim, the chance of that happening caused tears to spring to her eyes.

"No...! No, that can't..." Luna was panting, her artificial breathing wearing her out. How long was it from her room to the infirmary!? It seemed so much further when there was an emergency. Pushing herself, she continued on her way, terrified beyond belief of all the possible outcomes that scream had entailed.

* * *

_("Dio! Dio! Dio!")_

The crowd's cries still sounded, even long after their still forms disappeared completely into the blackness. Dio closed his eyes (not that it made much difference in the dark) and tried to block out the sound. Much to his dismay, that seemed to make the roars louder, the sounds echoing and pulsing through him like a stereo system.

_("'Dio'...?")_

A chilling voice broke through the chants, smooth and quiet as it seemed to wrap itself around Dio's senses. He supposed if the voice had a color, it would be an icy blue – and if a physical form, the thin shape of a snake.

But the voice was just that – a voice. It wasn't recognizable, nor was it soothing or inviting. Dio didn't want to hear it anymore, but it wasn't overpowering like the yelling of the crowd. It was a quieter cruelty, whispering evil into his ear like the serpent from the fruit tree in that familiar parable.

_("That's not even your name.")_

The blond nodded, opening his eyes and trying to look around for the source of the voice. No luck. Everything was dark, and most of his senses were seized by this voice, anyway. All the same, he tried to justify himself.

"But it's... it's from D-10," he murmured, surprised at his own voice's softness. "I... wanted a name to call my own." He had taken that name from his number, and it wasn't very creative, but it was _his_. No one else could claim to be Dio – at least, not around him. No one in the facility had a name. He was the only one that gave himself one.

_("Your name is Left.")_

"I know!" Dio howled, shaking his head. "But I just... sometimes I want to be _Dio_!"

Was that fair? Could he actually _want _to be himself, not just another clone? Was that allowed? No, no _way _that was allowed in Free the Soul. Hadn't he just had a little breakdown about this in the shower? Dio knew he had to _fight_ those urges. It was just like the time with that _woman_. He had fallen to his urges then, but he was a fighter – he wouldn't be bested by shit like individuality.

What a concept. What a _joke_.

_("Why do you lie to yourself?")_

"I'm not lying!" Dio's voice was desperate, and cracked at the end. It wasn't a lie! He wasn't lying! He wasn't a liar – at least, not to Free the Soul!

_("They weren't wrong. 'Dio the Liar' fits you quite well.")_

No! That was all wrong! Everything was wrong here! First being chased by n"Who the fuck are you!? Get out here and say that to my face!"

Furious, Dio lashed out blindly. He hit nothing, of course, not even feeling the air his swipe had stormed up.

_("You cannot be Dio. You are Left.")_

"Fuck off!" Dio hissed, stomping down his boot. Strangely, there was no echo – though he felt his foot collide with some sort of surface.

The outburst caused a backlash of sorts – the voice got louder and more straining on his ears.

_("Do you deny it? Are you not one clone of many?")_

"I am," Dio replied. "I never said I wasn't."

_("That is all you are, then. A copy.")_

"_No!_" Dio screamed, bringing his hands – which he couldn't even see in the pitch black surroundings – up to his ears in an attempt to block out the sound.

_("Not even an efficient copy. You're useless_.")

Dio lashed out more, getting angrier. "No, I'm not! I'll show you how fucking useless I am!"

_("Brother has many more copies. Many more clones that can do better than you.")_

"_No_!"

_("Sinner. Liar.")_

"Fucking _**stop**_! I'll kill you!"

_("You want to kill me? I'm right here, Left.")_

A corner of the darkness lit up.

He noticed it instantly, but eyed it with caution, taking a few steps towards the small pool of light. It revealed a... curtain-like thing that didn't seem to have an end or beginning on its bottom or top. But it did have an opening in the center – a tiny slit that implied the curtain could be pulled apart.

_("Right behind this slit. Yes, open it!")_

Dio didn't need prompting. But he did have to take a deep breath before placing his hands on the fabric and ripping it open.

He couldn't believe what he saw.

* * *

Luna couldn't believe what she found in the room.

It wasn't a dead Akane, or Dr. Klim, or Dio – it wasn't a corpse at all.

Dio's wrist was still chained to the bed, and he apparently hadn't moved from his spot. But he wasn't sleeping – at least, not peacefully.

His eyes were closed, flicking back and forth underneath the lids, and his face glistened with sweat. His breath came in and out in ragged pants, and his whole face was scrunched together in an expression of agony.

And what was worse – he was screaming. His body was immobilized by the handcuffs, but he was still yelling his lungs out on the bed, his head whipping back and forth violently.

"No, no, _no_!"

Luna had never seen him like this. Granted, she'd only seen Dio asleep a couple instances, but this was just _horrifying_. He wasn't anywhere near a terrorist murderer in this state; no, here he was vulnerable, weak, and frightened.

Tears trickles down his closed eyes, staining his cheeks. It made Luna's artificial heart wrench for him; despite herself, she took a cautious step forward. He didn't even notice her movement, and continued to thrash.

She noticed that his wound had reopened from his movements, the blood seeping through the bandages on his chest.

He looked to be in a lot of pain, and not just physical. It hurt Luna to see him there, lying in his blood with tears pouring out of his eyes. This wasn't Dio – not the man she knew, at least.

"_Stop_!"

Was he dreaming? It seemed that way; he seemed deeply asleep – enough to hiss out incoherent phrases and not notice his own injury reopening. Should she wake him? Could she even do it? What if it just hurt him more?

Luna, admittedly, had very little experience with nightmares. When Kyle had them as a child, she had tried to console him, but he never wanted her by his side. As he grew older, the nightmares continued, and Kyle requested Akane personally instead of Luna. She had tried to watch what the old woman did to calm the child, but she was often ushered out of the room.

If Luna was useless to of the child she was built to take care of, how could she help this man, laying and suffering, now? She couldn't.

But she had to try. The alternate was unthinkable. Slowly, she stepped towards him and reached for his hand.

"Dio. Dio, wake up. Please."

* * *

It was a mirror.

A fucking _mirror_.

The voice had said he was behind the curtain, but this was the only thing here. What did that mean?

Who _was_ that voice? Was it Dio himself? His inner thoughts and insecurities?

No, that couldn't be right. It made no sense. Dio was strong – he had said so back in that circus. He had faced scorn and even a fucking lion head-on with no fear.

It had to be some Left clone. Some other blond looking through a glass window. That was it – it _had _to be. Dio wanted to yell at the pathetic-looking clone.

But as he touched the surface, the copy mirrored his actions. Dio looked closer at the clone; he looked pale, his hair unbraided and a tangled mess. His eyes were sunken in, his lips cracked and dry, and he was once more naked. He could only see his chest, which bore a horrible, oozing wound.

But Dio had hurt himself there – that couldn't be another Left, could it?

His heart sunk as he stared into the glass, willing the other to blink out of sync with him, or breathe in a different pattern, or _something _that proved he was something different.

"Please," he begged the other. "Please, don't be me. _Please_."

Left just mimicked his words, at the exact same time. Dio sucked in a shaky breath, refusing to break down in front of this man, whoever he was. It had to be Left. It wasn't Dio.

But what was the difference, really?

They were all the same, in the end.

Still, without warning, the clone in the glass spoke without Dio prompting him to. And his voice wasn't Dio's, but the icy, whispering voice from before. Dio thought he'd be relieved at that, but the words just sent a paralyzing chill down his spine.

_("How can you protect the world from sin when you yourself are a sin?")_

_("DIO!")_

* * *

"_Dio!_" Luna was trembling herself now, pushing on Dio's collarbone to prod him awake. Tears were falling down her cheeks – almost as fast as Dio's were trickling down his – as she tried her hardest to rouse him.

Nothing was working, and he was getting worse. His wound was nearly hemorrhaging blood, and he was lashing out. Even with one limb secured, his other arm and his legs were free to swing about, knocking over some medical supplies nearby.

"Dio, please!" the melon-haired girl begged. "Please, wake up! It's just a nightmare! It isn't real!" What was she saying? Dio wasn't able to hear her, surely? But it was the only thing she could think of.

She shook him further, not liking the look of pure pain on his face.

"No! Get the fuck away!" he cried, cringing as if in pain. Perhaps he could feel the wound after all? His face was draining of color, fast, and Luna began to fear the worst.

But finally, after what felt like decades sitting there with the suffering man, Luna saw his eyes snap open. She had to blink a few times to make sure it had really happened, and sat back a bit to not frighten him further. He tried his best to sit up, the pain preventing him from doing so all the way. He struggled to a half-sitting position, looking over at the GAULEM with pure terror laced in his gaze.

"Dio...?" she whispered, noticing she was still holding his hand. But she wouldn't let go – not until she knew he was safe (or if he pushed her off).

He looked shaken, his teal eyes wide and unblinking. So small, so vulnerable. His breathing was still heavy, and Luna could guess that his heart was still racing.

For some reason, her mind wandered for a moment. She thought of his terrified state, and how he wouldn't want anyone to know. Perhaps she was so overwhelmed in this situation that she thought of other things.

But he definitely would be angry later if he found out this whole scene had been recorded. Glancing up at the ceiling, she called, "Lagomorph? Please cease recording of the infirmary, and erase all footage of the past hour."

She had authority over Lagomorph, at least. The rabbit's voice sounded over the speakers. "Youuu got it, Moony!"

"Thank you."

She brought her gaze down and noticed Dio was still staring at her, most likely still coming back to reality. His breathing was a bit more even now, and his eyes weren't quite as glazed over.

"Dio, are you okay?" she asked quietly, giving his hand a squeeze. He looked down at their conjoined hands, but surprisingly didn't say or do anything to stop it.

In fact, she swore she felt his hand squeeze hers back.

"Luna," he murmured, his voice like gravel. It occurred to the GAULEM that she should have brought a glass of water, but there hadn't been time.

Her tone was quiet, in an attempt to relax him. "You had a nightmare. But it's okay. You're okay." She wasn't sure if the words were getting through to him, but the 'motherly' phrases were programmed into her core. It was all she _could _say, really.

It took a few more minutes of them sitting there, in the dark room, for Dio to finally regain his senses. He still looked exhausted, but was definitely more conscious of his surroundings.

That look of fear was still evident on his face, however.

"Dio, do you need anything?"

The blond shook his head, dragging his tired eyes up to hers. His cheeks were still stained with tears. Luna found herself at a loss for words.

That is, until Dio spoke again.

"T... tell me about those fucking bluebirds," he whispered.

"W...what?" Did he really say that? She hadn't ever heard his voice so quiet.

He shifted slightly, wincing at his wound. Luna realized that she would need to take care of that, but it would be better if he wasn't conscious for it. Perhaps if he were to go back to sleep...

"Please." Dio's raspy voice interrupted her thoughts. It seemed he wasn't fully aware of everything just yet. But it was very early hours of the morning – 2 or 3 am, Luna would guess if she kept close track of the time. "Please, tell me about those damn bluebirds."

Well, he asked, so she would oblige. She didn't mind, really; it was a nice story. Dr. Klim read to her once, and she never forgot.

"It's called 'The Blue Bird' by Maeterlinck."

Luna took a deep breath, clutched her bluebird necklace with her free hand tightly, and began.

"On Christmas Eve, a pair of siblings, Tyltyl and Mytyl, are asked to find a bluebird by this old woman. They travel to a dream world in search of the bird... Catching this bird brings a person much happiness; they are granted a wish.

But no matter how hard they try, Tyltyl and Mytyl can't find the bird. Defeated, they return home empty-handed. But when they awaken the next morning, there's a bird in a birdcage in their hut.

It's a simple story, but it teaches a very important lesson... Happiness is closer than you think."

Luna always thought that the person who gave her this necklace – Dr. Klim himself – was trying to say that her happiness was closer than she thought, as well. That was why she always wore the necklace, as a sort of good-luck charm.

Still, there was another version of the story. She continued.

"But... in Maeterlinck's original story, the story doesn't end with them waking up. When Tyltyl and Mytyl try to feed the bird, it leaves the cage and flies away. That was the original ending to the story. And now, since the story's ending has changed, the moral has changed, as well...

Now the message is that just when you think you've found happiness, you'll lose it again."

As she told the story, Dio's eyes grew more and more dull, and his eyelids drooped. He seemed to be nodding off, not listening very much to the story. But that was okay – whatever he needed to get back to sleep. Hopefully he wouldn't have anymore nightmares, though Luna planned on giving him Soporil once he was fully asleep again, if only so she could rewrap his wound.

"I believe that happiness is something you should always be looking for. And it's only when you're pursuing happiness that you're truly happy."

His eyes shut and he sighed deeply, his breath falling into steady rhythms shortly after. His hand went limp in her grasp. It was clear he had gone back to sleep, but she kept whispering to him even long after.

"But no matter what, Dio... Please, don't give up. Look for your happiness, and don't let those nightmares consume you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **Apologies if this seems rushed... I felt bad that I hadn't posted in so long! Work and roleplay have been eating my attention and life,, Oops. Also! If there are any mistakes, I will reread this soon and try to fix any. If you find any, let me know!

Please review! :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 10**

He had been getting used to the quiet.

It was more than he could ever ask for; some peace did him well. Dio found himself floating in the silence, his eyes closed and his breathing evenly. His lungs worked in a wonderfully calm manner, and his heartbeat gently flowed through him. The steady rhythm was lulling; through the darkness, the man concentrated on it – listened for it every second – and felt his thought-stricken mind calm down.

The voice had disintegrated into the dark voids of his mind, no doubt to brood and scheme until his next sleep. But Dio didn't care at the moment; the remnants of his nightmare were fleeting, and he hoped with all his subconscious that he would be able to forget it once he awoke.

His body was immobilized, but it didn't matter one bit. His pulse was at a steady pace, his thoughts slowed down and shifting as though through mud. Not a trace of his quickened, busy mindset remained.

Deep breaths, relaxed muscles, even pulse – everything was perfectly _calm_, and he was _calm_, as well.

Again, Dio wasn't a man used to such downtime. Like the bath he had just recently, simple little pleasures in life were usually lost to him. Caught up in his missions and the strong desire to redeem himself in the eyes of the Holy Master, Dio barely got any time to stop and think. To relax.

Not that he would – or _could –_ have it any other way. His goals were far more important, and all the 'mental healthiness' that he needed.

However, while he was in this state, he couldn't deny that it was pleasurable. He'd have to relish the sensations of peace and serenity before it all crashed down when he awoke.

And as if on cue, Dio began to feel himself being dragged back to the conscious world. It wasn't as slow and sluggish as the previous awakenings when he was chained to the sink, but it took longer than he wanted, for sure. His mouth opened slightly and he let out a tired moan. His head was pounding and his chest burned as his eyes fluttered open.

He could practically feel the last of the Soporil dissolve away in his bloodstream. Groggily, his gaze shifted about the room in search of something to give a hint of his current situation. The blurs were preventing him from getting a good look; after a few blinks and a shake of his head, the world finally cleared and revealed his location.

The infirmary in Rhizome-9. He wasn't actually surprised one bit; it was where he'd been waking up lately, after all.

Had he been expecting to wake up to _Free the Soul_? Was he hoping that the Nonary Game had been some sort of nightmare, and that he was safe in the barracks of the organization again?

He scoffed at the thought, his lips curling into an empty smirk; he was a prisoner here, and he couldn't forget it. However, he also had to remember that his status was only temporary, and all he had to do to get out of this hell was convince Luna to let him go (which couldn't be too difficult for a pushover like her).

_Luna_...

The name sent shivers down his spine, and he wasn't sure why. His stomach felt heavy – as though he swallowed a bunch of stones. His heart sped up, but not in nervousness. No, he wasn't nervous, though his ailments were common symptoms of that feeling.

_This_ feeling... the way his hands shook and his teeth ground together... this was not happiness. But he didn't know what it was, because it wasn't his usual anger, either.

But he couldn't ponder his strange middle-ground between glee and fury, for he tried to struggle to a sitting position and his chest protested with scorching fiery pain. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his stomach churned as his hands went up to cover his mouth. Was – was he going to throw up? Bile splashed at the back of his throat, but he couldn't manage to gag or dry heave anything up. He kept his hands where they were just in case, though.

The pain was just so unexpected; though he felt the fleeting hurt as he woke up, he could've never imagined something like this. It was unbearable; was he bleeding? He had to be bleeding. But he needed to check first. Before he could puke his guts out or keel over or whatever, he _had _to check himself over. He could very well be dying and he would never know until it was too late.

Once he glanced down, he noticed instantly that his shirt was off. Rows of bandages covered his torso tightly, a bit of red seeping through the white. Gingerly, he let one hand go from covering his mouth and hovered his fingers over where the self-inflicted wound was. He winced as he brushed his hand over the injury, retracting it shortly after and examining his palm.

Sure enough, a light red shade colored his skin.

His face paled instantly and he did the first thing that came to his half-conscious mind: scream.

He yelled for Luna, for Brother, for _someone_. He didn't want to die – at least, not like this. He could kill himself by his own terms, or by Free the Soul's philosophies and contracts. But he didn't want to lie in an infirmary bed and slowly bleed out until nothing remained of Left clone D-10 – _Dio_.

In his screams, he almost thought he was begging, but he truly couldn't tell. The sight of blood frightened him – but why would it? He had stabbed himself mere days ago, hadn't he? It didn't make any sense, but he was still yelling all the same.

The sound of a door slamming open made him jump, and he stopped for just a moment to look towards the door. Tears were streaming down his face as he sat up, getting a better glance at whoever entered the infirmary.

He wasn't surprised to see the melon-colored hair, nor the light purple dress or apprehensive blue eyes.

"D-Dio, why are you panicking?" Luna asked, the worried look on her face clear as day. "I promise, you're going to be alright!"

"Liar!" Dio snapped, his lips curling back in an animalistic snarl. "Why the fuck am I bleeding!?"

The young woman pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyebrows knitting together in anxiety. "Just... relax," she murmured, her tone oddly soothing. "I just need to change your bandages." Her mouth curled into a smile, nodding to assure him it was okay.

But was it? In the state he was in, Dio wasn't in any position to trust her. The lingering effects of the anesthesia made everything hazy, and his paranoia skyrocketed. The throbbing pain in his chest didn't do him any favors, either.

But Luna didn't respond to his hostile glares and edginess – at least, it didn't stop her. She still took a step forward, and he visibly flinched as she grew closer. His steeled gaze never left her, his eyebrows knit together and his lips formed into a firm frown.

"It's okay," she assured, her blue eyes emitting only gentleness. Carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed and held out her hand. He eyes her palm suspiciously before lightly grasping it – for reasons he couldn't understand. It was as if some instinct told him he would be okay if he did that.

_Brother_, he hoped he would wake the fuck up soon before he lost sight of himself. But he supposed this helped his whole 'trust me' ruse, anyway.

"Dio, do you remember what happened?"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts – and some of the haze of sleep. Slowly, he shook his head, arching an eyebrow in confusion. He had woken up here – a bit slower than he would have liked, but it wasn't a big deal. He had been drugged with Soporil again, and-

Wait.

Hadn't he... asked Luna to nix the drug last night? And she had – he had watched her leave and lock the door. So unless she snuck it somehow or came back while he was asleep...

Yes, his consciousness returned all too quickly, smacking him in the face. "W-what the _fuck_, Luna!?" he yelled, a bit too weak to shove her off the bed (though he sort of wanted to). "You drugged me anyway after telling me you wouldn't?"

The girl's eyes lit up for a moment, something unknown flickering in the light blue irises, before she gave a small sigh. She lifted a hand, clutching that stupid charm around her neck tightly. Finally, after a few moments, she turned her attention back to him with a firm gaze.

"You had a nightmare," she murmured, her face softening into a sad expression. When he didn't respond right away, she continued, "I... heard you screaming, so I came running to find you thrashing on the bed. You were... almost inconsolable."

Dio raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the burning shame making its way into his chest. A nightmare? Yes, he remembered having one, but he couldn't recall Luna coming in at any time. Maybe that's why he was so confused when he woke up; the remnants of the Soporil and night terrors still lingered in his mind and body.

Well, fuck.

He'd really embarrassed himself like that? And he didn't even remember screaming in his sleep, or violently shaking around like she made it sound... or even her administering Soporil to his veins. It fucking sucked – his memory was fuzzy and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"I don't remember it," he replied, for once honestly. He remembered the dream, but nothing of the conscious world he awoke to."Really. Was it... bad?" What a stupid question. Of course Luna couldn't tell something like that – and didn't she say he was 'inconsolable,' anyway? He sighed and shook his head, correcting himself, "Don't answer that, I know you can't really tell. Uh. I guess... I should maybe thank you for that. For waking me up."

If he hadn't been woken up, he would have suffered longer. And that was something he could thank her for – just this once.

A small smile appeared on her face, and he instantly felt a twinge of regret and satisfaction combined. Damn it, he wasn't supposed to make her happy, but at the same time, it was a good thing, wasn't it? He could gain her trust faster this way – much as he hated using his manners around her.

He opened his mouth to retort something, but she lit up before he could, her own lips formed into an 'o' shape. "T-that's right! Dio, your clothes are out from the wash. I brought them for you."

Oh. Well that was... kind of her. He grimaced, wincing as he sat up and looked over at the clothes. She wasn't talking about the nightmare – was that on purpose? Was she trying to spare him the details of his surely-humiliating actions in the waking world while he suffered in dreams? He wasn't sure if he should be angry or relieved about it.

He accepted the clothes, giving her an expecting glance, as if she could somehow read his fucking mind. But, amazingly, she gave a nod and stood up, brushing off her dress.

"I'll be right outside the door, if you need me. I've left a few things for you on that medical table," she said, giving a nod to indicate the items and turned around. Just once more, she glanced back at him, her blue eyes a bit brighter than he remembered. "Also, I... I have an idea for today, if you're okay with it. Let's do something fun."

And with that, she shut the door behind her, leaving him a bit dumbfounded.

He blinked a few times, wondering what the hell she could possibly want to do that was _fun_, but he had to get changed before he found out anything, anyway. Carefully, the blond slipped the black t-shirt over his head, wincing as it brushed his bandaged wound. Next, he slid off the jeans and slipped into his gray pants instead, fastening the buckle and walking over to the medical table next to the bed.

It seemed Luna left him hygienic things – deodorant, a brush, toothbrush, etc. Things like that. Necessities for cleanliness. Dio would be lying if he wasn't a bit grateful for that; at least he wouldn't _look_ like a filthy prisoner.

But among the items, Luna had left a mirror. It made sense, of course – how could he know if he looked okay without something to check? It was understandable, and he would definitely use it.

But what he found in the mirror didn't sit well with him – at _all_.

He looked... worn, almost, his teal eyes tired and listless. Vulnerable. _Weak_.

The image only told the truth – mirrors didn't lie, after all. Deep down, Dio knew he wasn't anywhere close to what he felt back in that circus – when the lion charged at him, he felt no fear. But it had all been a lie. An ugly, twisted _lie _that in any other situation, he would not mind spewing out. However... this was different – this was his own life. It affected him.

"Fuck," he muttered, glaring once more at the mess in the mirror. He didn't want to face the fact that it was really him.

Dio _wasn't _strong. Deep down, he knew this. He couldn't even resist the pull of one woman, after all.

That sin carried on with him, even now, and it only proved his weakness. If he could fall to temptation once, why couldn't he again? What would stop him from messing up and failing at his missions yet _again_?

That voice in the dream – or Dio's inner thoughts, whatever it had really been – was right. Dio wasn't shit. He messed up too many times, and why should they even want him back?

How could he possibly be valuable to Free the Soul like this? Especially stuck in a facility with no way out, forced to talk to the enemy and trade information for luxuries? Dio just had to be stronger. He was weak – all his life, he had been so _weak –_ but he needed to be strong if he was going to escape. He had to be strong enough to trick Luna into letting him out. He couldn't crack under the pressure, or give into temptation.

But... he had before, and he couldn't ignore that it _could _happen again. He could lie to himself all he wanted, but the past showed how things turned out in the end. And the consequences of his actions and results from said actions just pushed him further into darkness; the fact that he didn't even recognize what was happening just made it worse.

The arrogant and 'brilliant' leader of the righteous Myrmidons was beginning to hate himself.

* * *

Dio's screaming this morning frightened Luna.

It wasn't like him to become so raw; he was always on his guard, and kept any emotions perceived as weak – such as sadness and fear – to himself. From what Luna gathered about the Myrmidons, they were very controlled and organized in a strict manner. It made the GAULEM a bit afraid of how broken through that tough shell must be.

The fact that Dio acted wary around her once he regained his consciousness of the world around him didn't help any, either. The blond seemed on edge since he awoke, and no wonder; Luna had no way of knowing what he had been dreaming about, but it was enough to enter him into such a state that even the core instincts drilled into him by Free the Soul were ignored.

And though some would argue that Dio deserved it, Luna couldn't bring herself to think that way. No one deserved to writhe and cry out on the bed as Dio had, and no one should wake up so disoriented and confused while screaming their lungs out.

Luna's artificial heart broke at his state. She wanted nothing more than to take that pain away from him; perhaps she could carry it herself, if she was able. Though... if she was able to take his burdens, it would let her experience something human, so it would benefit herself, as well. She was quite desperate to feel something outside her programming – even pain would do (though she didn't _prefer _it, truthfully).

She sighed, running her fingers over the cage of her bluebird necklace. Dio had asked about Maeterlinck's story when he was half-awake, and she had obliged. Though it was obvious he didn't remember it now, she hoped she would have the opportunity to share it again. The story touched her, as did most fairytales. Though... 'The Blue Bird' was special to her, as she was always searching for her happiness.

It made her think about Dio, too. Where was he most happy? Given the turmoil he suffered at night, it was surely not in Rhizome-9, or at least not yet. But was his happiness truly with Free the Soul? Its goal was so evil, though... surely that couldn't be his true purpose? Luna believed in Dio, after all; she knew he could be more than the Left clones. Deep down, Dio was someone _different_.

She had seen a small part of that man when he hesitated in his anger. When he had nearly smiled at her in the garden. When he had chosen Ally for her when he chose Betray for everyone else.

How long would it take for him to show more of that side of himself again? Would it ever resurface? Luna could only hope. Dio wasn't exactly a poster person for quick changes, after all (that was perfectly okay – progress was progress, no matter how small).

The redhead stood patiently outside the infirmary. It ended up taking Dio a little longer than Luna had predicted to get changed. She almost knocked on the door to make sure he was alright, but it slid open a moment later.

"D-Dio!" Luna cried, offering a smile to him. He met her gaze and raised an eyebrow, frowning. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

The man shrugged, scratching the back of his head. He seemed uncomfortable or nervous, but Luna wasn't going to ask about it. Instead, she continued to smile politely and listened for an answer.

"Uh. It's alright, I guess. Hurts a bit, but I can handle it." He brushed it off like it was nothing; it was hard to believe it had been bleeding quite heavily last night. Dio glanced around awkwardly before settling his gaze onto Luna. "So, what was this 'fun' you were talking about?"

Luna clasped her hands together and exclaimed, "Well... I- I think we need to relax a bit. I promised you a tour of the facility before, but I had gotten so distracted by Lagomorph at the time and I... forgot." She was a bit embarrassed about it, truthfully. "I think we can visit the rooms you didn't get to see during the Nonary Game, in time. But right now, let's go to the recreation room."

Surprisingly, Dio didn't protest. He didn't seem happy about it, but he didn't actually argue. Luna was confident she could make Dio have a bit of fun in the room, as she had fond nostalgia of it. While she never actually 'grew up,' she had watched Kyle do so, and he enjoyed the mechanical rabbit ride (which was modeled after Lagomorph). Perhaps Dio would get some sort of enjoyment out of the room, as well.

She never saw Dio as someone to take care of, nor as a burden, but she still felt the drive to please others all the same. It was in her programming to be motherly, though she hoped she didn't act like this towards the blond man too much – she didn't think he would appreciate it, and she knew he was, in some ways, way more knowledgeable about the world than she was.

Dio was a peer, but Luna couldn't help her sense of care and compassion.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "So are we going already? I can't wait all day, y'know."

Smiling wider, she nodded and clasped her hands together. "Of course! Let's go." She was just happy he was okay with coming; she was sure he would have fun... or she'd try her hardest, at least.

* * *

Dio shoved his hands into the pockets of his garnished jacket. This would probably be stupid, but he couldn't exactly fight it, either. Luna had seen him at his worst, and could use that against him at any time. He never thought he'd see the day, but it seemed like he was a bit _afraid _of Luna's power over him. At least, the power she held in the facility.

Sighing, he stared at his boots and followed the ends of the long, purple dress towards the elevator. That design on the lavender fabric was crazy; who designed that shit? Dio had tailored his own ringmaster coat, so he was allowed to judge others' fashion choices (or at least, that's how he reasoned it).

He kicked at the ground as they entered the elevator, watching silently as she pressed the button to go up to Floor B. As the machine hummed to life, Dio closed his eyes in thought.

Though he couldn't really care less about this _fun _Luna was going off on, it was essential for him to play along. The only way to keep his mind off his recurring self-loathing thoughts was to keep focused on his mission: get the hell out of here alive. He had to focus; Free the Soul had trained him to be determined and hardy even in the worst conditions, at least.

Luna's eyes met his for a moment and he had to look away, though he wasn't sure why. It was as if, after that whole shit last night and this morning, things had changed between them. Maybe they'd become a little less than enemies now; wouldn't that be something? The blond had trouble picturing it, and his own unconscious reactions to the girl were agitating him.

Gnashing his teeth together, Dio stood awkwardly until a 'ding' sounded. Luna walked forward once the doors slid open, looking back to make sure the man was following. He just rolled his eyes and continued walking with her, eventually catching up to step beside her instead of behind.

"Um, Dio, are you feeling any better?" Luna asked, her tone a bit apprehensive as she cast another glance his way.

He shrugged, again. She kept asking stuff like this, and he didn't know what to tell her. It wasn't as if it mattered how he was feeling, anyway, so it made no sense for her to even bother. Dio wasn't 'okay' stuck in this facility, and he wouldn't 'feel better' over time. This place was poisonous to someone like him; one of Brother's prestigious soldiers.

"I guess," he offered, his tone bored. "Quit asking, alright?"

"O-oh," she murmured with a slow nod, "Of course. I'm sorry." She seemed anxious again, looking down and fiddling with her necklace. There it was again; that stupid bluebird thing. She always wore it, or at least every day since he'd been here. It held a bluebird inside its golden metal wires. To be honest, he didn't see the significance in it.

So why did seeing it make a nasty taste splash into his mouth? She had tried to tell him the story behind it, but he didn't want any part of it. What did he care about some shitty fairy tale about birds?

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed the annoying voice echo through the hallway.

"Goooooood morning Moony! Oh, and B.O.! Did you kids sleep well~?"

The fucking rabbit. Dio was in _no _mood for him. His hands balled into fists instantly, and he whipped his head around, trying desperately to find the source of the voice.

"Fuck off," he snapped, trying to focus on something else around them (but failing horribly). Luna gave him a worried look, but couldn't say anything over Zero III's cackling.

"B.O.! I'm just tryin'a say I _hop_ you had a good sleep! Is that such a crime~?"

"For you? Yeah," the blond hissed back, rolling his eyes. "Get lost. I'm not in the mood for you today."

The rodent giggled, still not showing his ugly face. "Aww... poor B.O.! Too bad I carrot leave you alone! I'm afraid'a what you might do to poor lil' Moony!"

"Lagomorph... Don't worry. I'm okay." Luna shook her head, her tone sounding oddly sure and relaxed. It was strange; did she foolishly trust Dio, or was she just putting up a tough front? She didn't seem like the type to do the latter, so maybe she really did think Dio wasn't something to worry about.

That would have made him laugh once, but now it just made him all the more angry.

"Where are you, Zero Jr.? What computer are you hiding in? I'll fucking smash it!" he snarled, turning to look at the melon-haired girl, trying his best to direct his anger at the A.I. and not at her. "Where is the little bastard, Luna!?"

Her hands lifted to wave in front of her face, and she shook her head. "Um... no, Dio, he isn't... I mean... He doesn't technically have a home computer that you can access... and, um... I think you know what will happen if you do..."

"So he's untouchable?" Dio asked, his voice straining in anger. Fuck everything.

"Yup! I'm allllllllways watching, B.O.!" The rabbit cackled, lowering his voice menacingly and adding, "_Always_~"

Wait a minute. If the rabbit was watching as sharply as he said, then that meant... No, it couldn't be. What... could they do with that sort of footage? How could they possibly use it to their advantage? But Dio knew, deep down, that they _could _use it, for some purpose, against him...!

His face drained of all color instantly, but instead of lashing out he whispered, "N-no. You... you fucking _didn't_..." If they had a recording of him crying and thrashing in his sleep, and when he awoke the next morning, as well...

"...morph, we do not require surveillance..."

Honestly, what had become of him? He was a man so determined to earn his sainthood that he would have blown the place to hell if he messed up even a little, just to cover his ass and secure his spot in the new world. Where did that person go? Was he lost in that pitiful fucking _kid _who had nightmares and cried?

"...nk you..."

A small hand on his shoulder broke him of his trance; he lifted his head, probably looking so fucking pathetic. He couldn't help it; he truly felt like a rat in a cage now, forced to be watched always by his keepers...

"Dio," the soft voice continued to work its way through his despair. He gazed over at the girl next to him, looking into her light blue eyes. Her expression was nothing but gentle and _sure_. Sad as it was, he needed that sort of look at the moment. "Dio, Lagomorph left us alone for now."

She continued quietly. "He actually... doesn't know about last night or this morning. Everything is daily recorded by the cameras in the facility, but I made sure that he erased all footage of the infirmary." Glancing down for a moment, she added, "I... couldn't do that to you."

Dumbfounded, Dio stood there blinking in surprise. She... did that? For him? No, there... had to be some sort of ulterior motive. But why would she erase something like that? To gain his trust or something? It didn't make any sense; was she just being _kind_? Why to _him_?

"Luna... _why_ would you do that?" he asked in confusion. Nothing made sense.

"It's like I said, Dio, I couldn't let you become upset over something like that. Something I could control. Don't worry – I have authority over Lagomorph here. I had him erase everything." She pressed her lips into a reassuring smile, giving a nod. "Let's just relax and have fun today, okay?"

He sighed, giving a shrug, his anger leaving for the moment. "...Sure."

* * *

Dio looked around the room; it looked the same as it had during the Nonary Game. He'd seen most of the rooms during their downtime, just curious to see what kind of setup they had here. And he didn't mind this room, as well as the Lounge. The two rooms that weren't all business or technology and seemed to promote relaxation was something that he could get on board with.

Though, to be honest, he couldn't see the old bitch using the two rooms for _fun _(she was probably too busy being an old crotchety bat).

There was a billiards table in the center of the room, sporting an assortment of colored pool balls in the center, a cue stick laid down next to them. A small patch of the green table was colored darker, for some reason (probably part of the puzzle – Dio wasn't in this room during the Game).

For the most part, it seemed like a normal recreation room; dart board on the wall, record player in the corner, deer head decoration, and the like. A weird set of armor suits were in one corner, displaying a range of weapons in their metal hands (not for Dio to touch, he could already tell). Those were strange, he supposed, but there was one particular item in the room that managed to spook Dio.

A fucking kiddie ride was in the corner – the kind that were still outside the post-apocalyptic supermarkets back on earth. He'd seen them before; they operate on small coins and entertain kids for a few minutes while their parents take a breather. Granted, he'd never seen one in action due to the world being sort of... hell, but still. Dio knew what it was, at least.

The problem wasn't the weirdly-placed ride, it was _what _it was shaped like. Though Zero III stood on his hind paws, the quadrupedal animal the machine was shaped like was _definitely_ him. It had every little detail, down to his stupid hat. That damn rabbit seemed to follow them everywhere – wasn't there a doll of him somewhere in the facility, too?

Did the Kurashiki woman have a rabbit fetish or something?

Suppressing a shiver at the thought, he turned his attention away from the creepy ride and noticed Luna standing near the dartboard. Arching an eyebrow, he asked, "You want to play _darts_?" That was her big wowza idea? What a letdown; though he should've expected this, as Luna was boring.

She didn't notice his boredom, however, and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I mean... I think it would be fun for us to play a game. It won't be a puzzle; just a regular few round of darts. We can also play billiards, if you like... But I think darts would be a good game to start with." He wondered why that was, but didn't ask and merely crossed his arms.

"Yeah? How many rounds?"

"Um... best two out of three?"

"Sure. Care to make things a bit more _interesting_, then?" He gave a smug look, lifting his head to make himself look more confident than he felt.

"W-what?"

"Are you deaf? I mean I'll play if we can make a bet."

"Oh? Um... well, I can't let you leave, if that's what you're thinking..."

He rolled his eyes. "No. I'm not stupid. You said you'd give me my own room if I told you stuff, right? Well, what if I beat you? It's not information, but it's a bet. I'll do whatever you want if you beat me." He tried to sugarcoat it as best he could; it was so obvious he would win, anyway.

She seemed to consider it. "It sounds reasonable... but I don't know what _I_ would want _you_ to do..."

"Ugh, really?" He looked around the room, his eyes settling on that creepy ride (it was the first thing that he saw, but it would do). "I'll... ride that thing. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of that." This part of the bet didn't matter, because Dio didn't intend to lose.

After a few moments to think it over, Luna nodded. "Okay, Dio. If you win, I will talk with Ms. Kurashiki about getting you your own room here. If I win, you will ride the rabbit ride, and we can go to the garden and... talk a bit more about things. Okay?"

"What kind of things?"

"Just... things. I suppose I... would like to get to know you better."

Again, it didn't matter. He rolled his eyes; as long as he didn't put anything about Free the Soul or Brother in jeopardy, those were fair terms. He nodded, holding out his hand. "Fine, it's a deal."

She clasped his hand tightly, reminding him vaguely of what he had felt when he'd held her hand before. The anxious, unsure feeling he couldn't place.

Whatever. It didn't matter, because he was prepared to win. It was just a fucking game of darts, right?

"Prepare to lose."

* * *

An hour and a half, nearly three rounds, and about two dozen usages of the word 'fuck' later, however, he was about to eat his words.

Luna, quite frankly, was kicking his ass. She'd managed to win two games in a row, but they had decided to play the last game, anyway. Just for fun – or maybe to torture Dio some more.

He frowned as it was his turn, kicking the leg of the pool table in frustration. There was no possible way to catch up to her now, not with this being his last throw. She had flipped a switch on the dartboard before they played to change the settings from 'puzzle' to 'normal' or whatever, so there wasn't any chance of it being rigged.

She was just... really good at it.

"How the fuck are you doing this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Tilting her head a bit, Luna blinked in confusion. "Um... I'm not doing anything, Dio. I'm just trying my best!"

Stupid, stupid naïve smile. It did make sense for her to be good, he supposed; she spent more time here than he had. And he had been stupid and was so sure he could play darts despite never _fucking _picking up a dart in his life that the hadn't considered her experience, as well. Talk about not sizing up your opponent before competing with them.

He growled and looked down at his hand, balled into a fist, wanting to just hurl anything he could at the dart board (something besides darts; that trident one of the armor suits was holding looked nice). But before he could think it over more, he felt a dart placed in his hand, and warm fingers brush against his palm.

Luna placed a dart in his hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, just try your best," she encouraged with a nod. Gritting his teeth in anger, the man hurled the dart towards the board.

It hit a blue space, on the outside – 20 points. But it wasn't enough to match Luna's _much _higher score. Frowning, he turned to her, expecting to see her gloating.

She was smiling (as usual), but she held her hand out for him to shake. "Good game, Dio. I had fun!"

He wanted to retort that _he _didn't have fun. Except it _had_ been originally for fun, except he changed the rules and took the fun away. Fuck... now it wasn't fun at all! And that was only his fault.

"N-no! No, I won't... I won't get on that thing!"

"B-but... But Dio, you wanted to bet..."

He glared at the girl, crossing his arms. "That's... that's not fair! You... cheated!" He paused, taken aback by his words a bit; was he... whining? Fuck, maybe he _was _a little kid. A deal was a deal, and Dio was a man, wasn't he? Even if she somehow cheated or hustled him, it was still honoring his promise.

And Brother knew he _needed _to gain Luna's trust here; as small as it was, not fighting this stupid outcome of their bet was probably a step in the right direction.

They stood in silence for a moment, Dio's fists trembling and every part of him protesting, before he finally yelled out, "F... _fine_!"

He marched over to the stupid ride, climbing on it as best he could. It actually was big enough for him to fit on (probably even for someone as big as K); clearly, it wasn't created for a kid. He watched Luna approach with a red coin; he'd never let her know, but he was a bit... nervous, he supposed.

It was entirely new for him.

Who knew how fast these things went? Maybe this one was altered for faster speeds or something for the puzzle... He had no way of knowing. But she wouldn't put him on something she knew was dangerous, would she? Every part of him wanted to say that yes, she would, but after the incident last night and the morning after, he couldn't think that way. At least, not until she proved herself an untrustworthy bitch again. Her actions spoke good for her, for once.

Clammy hands grabbing the handle in front of him, Dio gave a nod to her and watched her smile gently. He was about to retort something when the machine hummed to life; instantly, he flinched and held on tightly, as if he was on a fucking roller coaster or something.

But, to his surprise (and relief), the ride seemed to be swaying slowly in a up, down, and around motion. Like a merry-go-round without the spinning thing, almost. He didn't mind it, actually, and his grip loosened. As he looked up from his gaze on the mechanical rabbit's head, he saw Luna standing close by.

She had a grin on her face, but it wasn't a mocking one.

"Dio! Are you... having fun?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

He held onto his hat and shoved it down, over his eyes, to try to hide the flush that began to spread across his cheeks. Damn it, he was _embarrassed_ because of this stupid ride.

"Shut up...!" he groaned, wishing for the thing to stop _now_. He wanted to get off it and run away, back to the infirmary and hide his face in a pillow or something. The hot feeling on his face wasn't going away; in fact, at her giggles, it only grew worse, making his heart speed up and his breath catch in his throat.

He fought the urge to jump off – _You need to earn her trust and this is a good way to start –_ and wallowed in his shame until he heard a clicking noise, and a small flash. Was that...? He had little time to ponder it, as the ride came to a stop moments later. He climbed off instantly, inspecting the box in front of the ride, where Luna had put the coin.

Of course there was a lion head decoration on the front (he wasn't too keen on lions at the moment, after that nightmare), and on the other side, a lens (how the hell did he miss that?) and a slot that spit out a photograph a second later. He snatched up the picture, looking it over.

The Dio in the picture looked sorta wary of the thing, but had his hat over his eyes and was clearly blushing. Luna approached him, and he held a hand out for her to stay back for a second. His eyes scanned the image and took every last inch of it in before his features scrunched into disgust.

This wasn't what Dio wanted to look like – even in one dumb photograph. He was the proud and prestigious leader of the Myrmidons, not a fucking _dope_.

Angrily, he tore the picture in half, turning to Luna. Her eyes seemed a bit clouded for a moment before she focused her attention back on him. "U-um, Dio, we can... have a rematch?"

"What, so you can beat me again?"

"I... know you want your own room. If you do beat me, I will let you have just that, okay? I promise."

With a shrug, the blond walked towards the door. "Fine. But tomorrow. Let's go eat; I'm fucking _starving_."

The girl smiled towards him, nodding. "Okay! Lead the way." She gave a small giggle, making him raise an eyebrow. She was... giving him a small amount of freedom? Well, it wasn't much, but it was... something.

He smirked back at her silently, turning around. The door slid open, and he walked outside.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Luna had bent down and picked up the photograph's remains. She glanced at the picture, of the image of Dio looking embarrassed and a bit more relaxed and very... _human_. Giving a soft smile at the pieces, she placed them into her pocket and hurried to catch up with him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Electric Sheep**

**Summary: **Post-game. After discussing the fate of the failure with Akane, Luna is left in charge of Dio. Eventual Dio/Luna.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **Thank you so much for being faithful and loyal readers! It really means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review~!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward or 999!

**Electric Sheep**

**Chapter 11**

It had been the same routine for two weeks now, and Dio was a bit sick of it.

Not that he minded a scheduled life; he was quite used to it by now, after all. Free the Soul was known for its uniform agenda, keeping its soldiers dedicated to and willing to sacrifice everything for its cause. Dio was no exception.

Point being, he was used to being told what to do every day. He was comfortable with such an arrangement; ever since he was created, his days had been planned out. Humans were weak-minded in that they wanted 'freedom' to do what they want, but Dio never could understand that. If he had all the time in the world, he wouldn't know what to do. He preferred someone telling him what to do next; far from independent, the blond survived on orders.

That was one of the reason he despised life within these walls. Besides being trapped with his enemies – with people who were supposed to be dead at his own hands – and besides all the fucking questions he kept asking himself about his fate, he was sick of Luna asked him what he wanted to do.

It never worked like that. Ever. And honestly, Dio didn't have an answer for her when she asked.

He'd merely explained to her that he wanted his own room, and that he would keep trying until he got it. Unfortunately, Luna was all too happy to oblige for some reason, and let him challenge her day after day to darts until he won.

It didn't help that he fucking _sucked _at darts.

Luna, at one point during their totally unfair matches, had suggested a handicap. She asked if he wanted her to only throw Y amount of rounds, vs. the usual X. It would seem like a good idea, if she hadn't been asking _Dio_. Dio's pride mattered to him, after all, and he instantly refused. It made things just that much harder for him, but he was not going to win by any unfair means necessary.

Funny how he didn't see the Nonary Game in the same light.

Then again, darts wasn't life or death, nor was his mission on the line.

Of course, Dio wasn't getting _worse_ at darts; his progress was just as slow as a slug, was all. Every day, he got a little bit better, earned a couple more points, and he knew he just needed to take his time. Patience was a virtue – a virtue Dio didn't have, but he had to find some to avoid smashing the dartboard in two after each loss.

Dio was also a sore loser, but he'd never admit that. Luna had to sometimes fucking _bribe _him with dinner to get him away from the recreational room, away from trying one more game. She had given him every food he asked for, give or take; that storage room had a shitton of food – well worth a few lifetimes.

Anyway, the routine was something he memorized: wake up, get breakfast with Luna (she somehow always ate beforehand, but he'd stopped worrying about poison), play some darts (see also: fucking _lose _at darts every damn time), eat dinner, walk in the garden (seriously Dio had that layout memorized by now) and then go to bed.

He did still have nightmares, but they were scarce and he couldn't remember them by the time he woke up. They mostly involved Free the Soul, or Brother himself, but every-so-often Luna would show up. She'd usually have a calming effect on the dream, settling down the chaotic events. He didn't know why she did that to his subconscious; perhaps his mind was just responding to how gentle she appeared to be.

Dio still didn't trust Luna; like fuck he would ever do something so stupid. But she was his only hope of getting out of here, so he'd taken to not yell at her _as _much. He still lost his temper here and there, but noticeably not as much as he had at first.

It was progress – a step towards getting out of here. And Brother knew Dio needed all the help he could get.

* * *

"Goddammit!"

Dio's cursing wasn't unexpected; the same thing had been happening for the past two weeks or so. The GAULEM sighed, clutching her bluebird pendant as her blond companion hurled the darts at the dartboard. He was behind only a couple points, but couldn't seem to catch up.

She had offered more than enough times to allow him to win, but he had fiercely refused every time she brought it up. Humans were prideful by nature, so it did make sense for Dio to want to win fairly; all the same, Luna wished that he had had the same attitude during the Nonary Game (though she realized the stakes were much higher then).

Their games didn't have bets anymore, though one promise did withstand every match: If Dio won, Luna would grant him his own room in the facility. They did have extras, but if worse came to worst... Kyle's room was available.

Luna knew sadness through Kyle. Dr. Klim had treated her as kindly as he could, and Ms. Kurashiki was cold but not downright cruel, but Kyle... the young man had grown up neglecting Luna. The reason she had been built was to be a mother to him, to nurture and care for him when he needed her, but in the end...

In the end, he did not need her, and that was what brought Luna sadness for the first time. She couldn't fulfill her own initial purpose. Dr. Klim hadn't dismantled her, and had assigned her new tasks to make up for the one she couldn't do. The Doctor was kind, and took mercy on his broken GAULEM, allowing her to look after the facility as a maid of sorts, and watch Kyle grow from afar. The child was alone most of the time, pining for his father's attention, but the only one who gave him true, non-artificial affection was Ms. Kurashiki.

Luna supposed her own sorrow at Kyle's refusal of her was outside her programming; the first time she felt it – true sorrow that racked her processor's core – Dr. Klim had been startled. Perhaps that was another reason she was kept around; she was able to feel things that other GAULEMs seemingly did not. She couldn't explain it herself, but it only happened with Kyle a few times, and now it was happening again with Dio.

She was programmed with initial movements and numbered codes for reactions, but in those instances, she moved as a human would – unpredictably, without reason, and moved by her heart (or, in her case, lack thereof). It was a mystery, but perhaps it was best not to question it. Even if it was a glitch, she did not want to know; Luna liked to think that a part of her _was _human, or gave the impression of a human.

Dio was unlike her, of course; he was lucky. He could breathe, eat, drink, swim... He could _feel_. The blond had no idea how fortunate he was to be able to have felt the earth around him, even if it was post-apocalyptic. Even now, he could touch the water in the garden and actually feel the wetness running down his fingertips. He could run his hands through the blades of grass and feel them tickle his skin. There was a reason Luna loved the garden; their nightly walks around the garden, seeing the 'stars' lit in the dome's roof and the rivers lit up.

Their walks in the B Garden became something precious to her; she used to spend time in the dome alone, but now she had a companion, and she was quite grateful. Dio didn't say much during their loops around the area, but he seemed to be inquisitive about all the plants and things on the ground. Luna had never known the earth, but she guessed from his curiosity that most of the greenery that had once been there had died out. The end of the humans' days brought about wars and random acts of violence – or so she had read.

Thinking about humans making or breaking their planet reminded Luna of just how much a human could do – and how much power they held in their fleshed fingers.

At the same time, though, Luna understood how _limited_ humans were. They would die after an unpredictable period of time, and felt pain – physical and not. Dio's pain was evident in the wound on his chest, as well as his frequent nightmares; though he tried to hide the terrors that plagued him at night, they did not escape her. She didn't bring them up, of course – though she wished she could. She wanted nothing more than to help Dio, for seeing him in such suffering was unpleasant.

She wanted to take the suffering away. Enemy or not, Dio didn't deserve what ailed him. No one did.

"Luna!"

Dio's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Blinking in surprise and uncurling her fingers from her necklace (were those... indentations in her palm?), Luna glanced over at the irate blond, who had his arms crossed in impatience. With the slightest bow of apology, she replied, "Y-yes? I'm sorry, Dio, I suppose I spaced out there for a moment. What is it?"

The man didn't seem forgiving, but he didn't press it. "I _said_ are you gonna go or what? It's been your turn for the last ten minutes or so."

"O-oh! Of course, Dio. What is the score so far?"

"You're about 10 points ahead of me."

Luna nodded; he made her promise not to go easy on him, so she would have to try her best. Holding the darts in her hand, she aimed one towards the board's circular patterns. She wasn't programmed to win, of course; it was merely something she had gotten used to. Dr. Klim, Ms. Kurashiki, and Kyle never played with her, for obvious reasons.

It was alright, though, as Luna's frequent alone time provided her with opportunities to learn. Luna loved learning, after all; the more knowledge she gained, even while alone, was a positive in her robotic mind.

Gripping the metal part of the first dart tightly, Luna reeled back her arm and thrust forward, letting go and allowing the dart to fly through the air. After a few split seconds, it landed on a colored section of the board.

6 points.

Dio's teal gaze snapped to her instantly. "Are you going easy on me?" he hissed, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in suspicion. Instantly, she shook her head in response, waving her hands in front of her defensively.

"No! No, of course not. It was just... bad luck, I suppose."

"Yeah, right."

Luna could feel Dio's cold eyes on her as she threw the next dart. As if he was watching to make sure there wasn't a slip-up of any kind in her technique. He had done this before, but it was mostly when they first started their competition. The GAULEM had assumed he had trusted her to the extent of not cheating by now. Sadly, that didn't seem to be the case.

The second dart hit a higher point value, at 11 points. Luna glanced over at her companion and saw the man's sour expression; it seemed he didn't have anything to comment on the matter. Taking a deep breath, the girl tossed the third dart as accurately as she could, earning herself 20 points.

Dio was now 47 points behind, and this was his last turn.

With a growl, the man pried the darts off the board and took aim. His technique had advanced quite a bit, every match earning him more experience and skill. It was... admirable. Luna smiled softly and watched him size up the board and calculate where to throw the dart, rather than just blindly throwing it like he had the first couple days.

His first dart hit 13 points. Dio's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he kept his comments to himself. Instead, he focused on the next dart.

Luna had to admit, Dio was slowly becoming more patient with things. Despite his technical status as a prisoner here, he was a bit more pleasant to be around. The days blurred together and Luna hadn't even realized that so much time had passed.

To be perfectly honest, she was beginning to enjoy her days with Dio.

She smiled to herself, clutching at her bluebird necklace, watching the next dart hurl through the air. 17 points. Well, that was significantly better than the last throw! Luna silently cheered, not wanting to break Dio's concentration, as the final dart was thrown.

20 points.

After a few milliseconds of calculating, Luna's features brightened. That was a 50 point increase! Not only had he caught up with her, but he'd passed her up! She glanced over at him, ready to congratulate him on his victory, when she noticed his expression.

His face softened, a peace washing over his teal eyes and allowing some of his facial muscles – usually so tense with anger and his guard up – to relax. And he was... _smiling_. It wasn't a smirk, nor a cocky smile of victory. It was honest, pure relief.

It didn't look like a Dio expression.

As soon as he caught her gaze, however, he snapped back to his original grimace, crossing his arms and muttering, "Fucking _finally_..."

Luna clasped her hands together, giving a nod. "Congratulations, Dio!"

Dio flashed a quick thumbs up, clearly pleased with himself enough to not care about his tough exterior. Just for another moment, he let his softer side shine through. "Yeah, yeah... Now, let's go get my reward, alright?"

With a nod, Luna led him out of the recreational room. Before they left, however, she looked towards the Zero III ride. Dio paused in his step and followed her gaze. She heard him huff and shift around, crossing his arms, until finally he marched up to the thing and kicked it.

She giggled, despite herself, and followed him out of the room.

* * *

Fucking _finally_.

Finally.

It took two weeks, but Dio had done it. He'd beaten Luna in a game of darts, and he'd earned himself a room for himself. It was great; he knew he shouldn't be so eager about this, as he didn't plan on staying here forever, but... Damn it, he was a little excited.

It wasn't as if he hadn't earned it, anyway. Just like the rank as Myrmidon leader, he reflected, and how he would earn his saint status; Dio had done (and would do) the work, and thus he had every right to a reward. To _progress_.

Smiling to himself, Dio followed Luna towards the Kurashiki woman's door. The thought that perhaps she would be waiting for him behind the door with a knife fluttered in his mind, but at the same time, he found himself forgetting the thought easily. For some strange reason, Dio didn't think the melon-haired girl would lead him to his demise.

He hadn't forgotten his mission to leave, but he didn't groan at the thought of Luna's company anymore. Two weeks had gone by, after all, and Dio was used to it by now.

Luna was shy and easy to push around, but she was also a bit confusing to him. Being taught that all humans were made of greed and sin, Dio didn't understand how the girl could seem so innocent. How her front could be up at every waking moment, and how she hadn't slipped once. It was almost as if she was actually...

No. He couldn't think that way. Everyone had sins, and humans that were not part of Brother's cause were irredeemable. Luna's true self would come out soon, he was sure, and he would be praising himself for not falling for the act.

He nearly bumped into her when she stopped in front of a large door, the words 'CRASH KEYS' etched into the hard surface. A pin pad was placed next to the handle, covered for privacy's sake. Luna's hand hovered over the buttons, pressing them in a practiced manner (Dio tried to look over her, but the fucking cover prevented him from getting a good look).

After the code had been entered, Luna stepped inside. Dio wasn't sure if he should follow, and stood there awkwardly until his companion motioned him in. Adjusting his hat apprehensively, he walked in with the utmost caution, still wary of any projectiles thrown at him. He couldn't help his caution; sensing discomfort was part of his training as a Myrmidon.

Once inside, however, he noted the lack of weapons and glanced around. The walls were bare, of course, a few bookshelves in the corners of the room. A mahogany desk sat in the center, sporting neat stacks of papers, a photograph of a white-haired man that looked around Dio's age, and... was that a fucking voodoo doll?

But Dio didn't get time to ponder it before he noticed the old woman. She sat, still as stone in the chair behind the desk like some kind of statue. Hell, he would think she wasn't really there if there wasn't the ever-so-slight movement of her chest as she breathed, and her eyes as they blinked. His muscles tensed; how he'd like to find his knife and jab the thing through her heart. If only. Instead, he glared towards her and held her violet gaze.

"Left," she rasped in greeting.

"Bitch," he snapped back.

Luna stepped in between them, placing a hand on Dio's shoulders and easing him into the chair across from the desk. She sat down next to him, giving him a neutral glance. It calmed him down some; he just crossed his arms and sat back in the chair, scoffing to himself and wishing he were anywhere else but here.

"Ma'am, I've brought Dio to speak to you about... our bet." Luna was fidgeting, but he didn't think too much about it. She did that all the time, after all; her hands were all over that necklace most of the time.

Still, he nodded and added, "Yeah. Won the game of darts finally. So, Luna says you have a room for me."

The old woman's eyes lit up for a moment before dissolving back into apathy. "Is that so...?" she asked, giving her maid (or whatever was going on there) a look that he couldn't read. Was she surprised? Didn't Luna tell her about this? "And what have you given her in return?"

"W-what?" Now it was Dio's turn to be surprised. He held onto his hat, keeping it from falling off as he stood up. "Fuck you! I didn't give her shit because that wasn't the deal!" Anger pulsed through him; how _dare _she make him give more than what was promised? He had won the fucking bet!

But his rage didn't affect her for a moment. She closed her eyes in thought, murmuring in an oddly calm tone, "Sit down, Left."

He frowned, narrowing his eyes and resisting the urge to spit in her face. A few minutes of awkward silence passed.

"P-please, Dio..." Luna added after the long pause.

He found himself sitting, though it wasn't to obey the old woman. He had to believe that Luna was looking out for him, if only a little; if she hadn't, why had she done so much for him already? Dio was a man who did things for a purpose, and he saw others' actions like that, as well.

Everything had a reason behind it. Dio just so happened to think that perhaps Luna's actions were in his best interest. At least... he couldn't think of anything that would suggest the contrary. If Luna intended for him to suffer, she would've left him in the nightmares from the start.

Even if it was to lull him into a state of trust...

Well, it was _something_. Progress. Dio needed _her_ trust, after all.

"Fine, so I'm sitting. Are you gonna give me the key to my room now?" he barked, glaring daggers into the old woman. Too bad they weren't real daggers.

Akane crossed her hands politely on the surface of the desk. "I see. You believe winning a game of darts has earned you your own room?"

"Uh, _yeah_. It wasn't just one game, either! I've been playing for the past two fucking weeks. I think I earned it." Pausing, he glanced over to Luna and added, "Besides, _she_ said I would earn it."

The woman's gaze was cool and unwavering and also _quite_ unnerving. Dio didn't waver in his glare, however, and scrunched his eyebrows together to make himself look even angrier (if that was possible at this point).

"I-it's true, ma'am," Luna cut in softly, "I promised Dio. Please... he's earned it."

Akane's glance shot over to Luna, a bit of sharpness settling into the old eyes. Dio didn't want to witness any family or employment drama; he just came here to confront the old bitch and get what was his.

It took another long-ass silence hanging in the air to prompt Luna to continue speaking. "Dio has... proven to be determined in his goals in the past. I am pleased, however, that he has shown interest in something positive, and worked towards that outcome instead of a negative one."

Dio cocked an eyebrow upwards at her statement; oh, man, if only she knew the truth. But he'd let her think that – anything to get him what he wanted. Snorting, he propped his feet up on Akane's desk, crossing his arms and making himself comfortable. The old woman shot a hardened look towards him, but said nothing.

"I am... proud of Dio," Luna continued, her voice quiet but firm, "for doing things traditionally, as well, rather than choosing manipulation and other methods to achieve what he wants. I offered to let him win more than a few times, and he refused."

_That's because of pride. _Dio thought, but didn't voice it. A woman couldn't understand the hardened pride of a man – and a Myrmidon agent, no less.

Still, he said nothing to argue against her. Who was he to distort a poor, innocent girl's ideals of him? If she wanted to think him a changing man, let her. All the better for him to use.

The Kurashiki bitch seemed to listen to the younger woman's words, and nodded as she spoke. Finally, after a moment of silence, she rasped, "I see. Left, you seem to have Luna's faith invested on you. I advise you to appreciate that faith, and do not disappoint her.

Your room will be far away from mine and anyone else's in the facility. It will be locked while you are inside it, and you must have Luna escort you to and from it. I expect you to behave; remember, we still have a means to control you." The old woman nodded towards Dio's wrist, indicating the watch still snapped around him.

The blond growled, gritting his teeth, but kept his mouth shut still.

"Do we have an understanding, Left?"

Dio glared towards her, but nodded and retorted, "Yeah. You got a deal."

* * *

The two of them set off for the garden after Dio stopped in the pantry for dinner. He ate rather quickly, eager to personalize his new prison. It was pathetic, probably, but he couldn't help it; it was his small freedom in this hell.

"How big should I expect this room to be?" the blond asked, trying to hide his eagerness. How old was was he, nine?

But Luna just smiled softly and replied, "It's about the size of one of the crew quarters' rooms. It should have its own bathroom, as well."

So not that big, but bigger than the small space he was allowed when chained to an infirmary bed. And thank Brother for his own bathroom; it was so fucking embarrassing to ask Luna to escort him to the bathroom, and even more humiliating knowing that Zero III was watching him do it.

Pleased with her answer, he nodded in response as they reached the garden.

The lush environment never changed, the different shades of green and brown creating a very natural atmosphere, despite their residence on the moon. The water was clean and fresh enough for fish to live in it; Dio wondered why they didn't have any swimming in the streams. The jellyfish in the treatment room were legit, weren't they? Luna probably loved animals. As much as her fingers met that bluebird charm around her neck, it wasn't far out there to assume she favored birds (though he could see her loving all of nature's creatures).

Dio was neutral about nature. He'd seen animals and plants on the earth, and while he didn't go out of his way to be cruel to them, he didn't exactly lift a finger to help, either. Nature was something, in his opinion, that should be left to either flourish or die without interference. Without _human_ interference.

Free the Soul preached survival of the fittest, and Brother explained that humans were the poison of the earth, not the rest of nature. Nature itself was beautiful because of its pure, untouched state. Humanity was damned because of its sins, and needed to be destroyed for the earth to recover from its plague.

Humans were so weak. Given so much land to own and take reign of, yet they end up destroying everything they touch.

At least Free the Soul was an organization that didn't sacrifice animals. Luna would be upset if she had to deal with Dio in that regard, wouldn't she?

Heh. He smirked and followed her around the garden in silence, until they reached their usual spot: the bench near the waterfall. He had to admit, without his failure on display under the nearby tree, the B. Garden was a peaceful spot. Like the last remnants of the pureness of the earth; even if it was a simulation.

He could see why Luna loved it here, honestly.

For the past two weeks, they had walked around the garden with minimal conversation (some days Dio was completely silent). It wasn't a very talkative two weeks, with the blond steaming in his losses and get through the rest of the day so he could try again in the morning.

But now, with that all over with _finally_, Dio could sit down and talk with Luna if she wanted. He figured she'd earned something, as well. Not that he'd spill the beans about Free the Soul or anything, but if she wanted to chat about bluebirds or something, he'd comply – for now, anyway.

Luna sat herself down, smoothing out her dress and giving a smile towards her companion. "I'm so glad you managed to get a room, Dio!" she cried, clasping her hands together on her lap pleasantly. The man plopped down next to her, his movements a lot less graceful as he stretched out his legs on the grass.

"I'm just glad it's over," he admitted with a dry smirk. "I was getting fucking sick of that game."

She giggled. "I can see why. It's a hard game to master, but I think you did fine."

"Think so? Heh. Thanks, I guess." He gave a shy shrug, a bit unsure how to respond to her praise.

"You're welcome, Dio."

They fell silent, and Dio sat up straighter on the bench, grabbing the rim of his hat in a fidgeting motion. He wasn't sure how to bring this up, nor how to even _begin_ to mention it. It was something he'd wondered about since he was first trapped here. Something about the way Luna addressed him was very odd to him.

"I- I've been wondering something," he began, avoiding her ice blue eyes. Damn it. He only avoided eye contact if he wasn't sure in what he was saying. Cursing under his breath, he continued, "Why do you call me Dio?"

She didn't understand, however. "What do you mean...?" Luna asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Rolling his eyes, the blond clarified, "My real name's Left. You heard the Kurashiki bitch calling me it. I mean, I think you know about Free the Soul enough to know that the Myrmidons descended from the boy called Left, right?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, I know all about that."

"So why aren't you calling me Left?"

The freckled girl bit her lip and looked away, as if determining how exactly to answer him. Her hand met her bluebird necklace again, but Dio wouldn't let her fidget. He brought his own hand up to hers and pried it away from the charm, their fingers brushing for a few split seconds. Despite the small time, he noticed it.

"Luna," he murmured, a seriousness to his tone he hadn't even tacked on on purpose. "Tell me."

She nodded, her voice breathless as she answered. "...In the game, you... you introduced yourself as Dio. It... it's silly, but I suppose I've come to know you as Dio, rather than Left. To me, I... suppose you are more than just the clone of a dead child. You're more than what you think you are." Her voice continued to grow quiet until it was just a whisper. "I believe in you, Dio. Whether you believe in yourself or not, I... I do."

Now Dio was speechless. Actually, more like gobsmacked. He was metaphorically smacked in the face by this small, frail woman. Without warning, he was overcome with an urge to simultaneously hit and hug her. He wanted to thank her, and then yell at her and tell her she didn't know what the fuck she was talking about.

Neither of those reactions were really appropriate at the moment, however, so he simply tugged on the tip of his hat and muttered shakily, "...W-whatever."

He needed to distract himself from what had just happened, and fast. Switching subjects, he focused on something else he was curious about. "A-and… the hell is your connection to that old bitch? Are you her maid, or what?"

Luna wasn't expecting the conversation to shift, so she merely blinked in surprise, stammering, "W-what?"

He turned to face her, finally, his eyes ablaze. "Were you Zero?"

Her expression froze in surprise, and for a split second, he thought he had it right on the money. But she shook her head, her ginger curls bouncing as her head moved to the sides. "N-no! No, of course not. I promise, Dio, I'm not Zero. I... You could say I work for Zero, however."

"So you _were _in on the whole thing..."

"Y...yes," the girl whispered, nodding slowly. "Yes, I was."

"You deceived us, like I did."

A nod.

"So you _are_ capable of lying. Just like you lied to me about the bitch giving me a room. She didn't know anything about it. What gives?"

The young woman's gaze fell to the grass, her hand raising again and wrapping tightly around her birdcage charm. He let her this time. "I'm... sorry, Dio. I... was going to tell Ms. Kurashiki as soon as possible. But..."

"But what?" he snapped, glaring at her. "Did you just forget? Did you plan on deceiving me from the start, just like in the fucking game?"

"N-no!" Luna waved her hands in front of her defensively. "No, no, that's not it at all. I..." Her lips pursed and she took a deep breath before continuing, "I... got caught up in what we were doing, I suppose."

_...what?_

"You were so preoccupied by our games that you forgot to mention that I might not get what I was fucking _promised_!?" Dio hissed. He was about to stomp out of the garden in anger right then and there, but her response was... surprising, to say the least.

"No," she murmured, standing up to meet his eyes. "I was... having fun."

_...fun?_

How many times had Dio missed the meaning of that word? He wasn't even sure he knew what it truly meant; had there been a time in his scheduled life where he truly let go and had fun? His memory grew fuzzy as he thought, unable to think of a time like that. There was nothing he could think of, and he found that to be sort of pathetic. He'd never had fun in his life?

He found himself just sitting there, blinking in confusion, and finally forced himself to react. Anger was the only thing he had left, so he just glared at her and turned away.

But _maybe_ he wasn't really angry.

_Maybe_ he was realizing that _maybe_, if only a little, he had been having fun with her, too.


End file.
